Xiao Zhen (; born 15 April 1987 in

Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

) is a

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

footballer who currently plays as defender or

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

Club career

Xiao Zhen started his professional football career in 2005 when he was promoted to

Liaoning Whowin Liaoning Football Club (), officially known as Liaoning Hongyun (), was a professional association football club with a long history in Chinese football. The club can predate their formation to 1953, when Shenyang government sports body joined ex ...

's first squad. On 1 May 2005, he made his debut for Liaoning FC in the

2005 Chinese Super League The 2005 Chinese Super League season was the second season of China's top-tier football competition. With no relegation the previous season, the league expanded from 12 to 14 clubs with the promotion of Shanghai Zobon and Wuhan Huanghelou. The se ...

against Qingdao Jonoon, coming on as a substitute for

Zhu Kai Zhu or ZHU may refer to: *Zhu (surname), common Chinese surnames *Zhu River, or Pearl River, in southern China *Zhu (state), ancient Chinese state, later renamed Zou * House of Zhu, the ruling house of the Ming dynasty in Chinese history *Zhu (str ...

in the 85th minute. He would gradually start to establish himself within the squad, however he was part of the team that was relegated at the end of the 2008 league season. Despite this setback, Xiao would remain with the club and helped them back into the top tier when he won the second division title with the team. On 23 February 2011, Xiao transferred to China League Two side

Chongqing F.C. Chongqing Football Club or Chongqing F.C. (Simplified Chinese: 重庆足球俱乐部) was a Chinese professional football club based in Chongqing. The club last played in the China League One before dissolution. History Chongqing F.C., the secon ...

While he may have moved down to a third tier club, they would push for promotion and with Xiao playing as a forward they achieved promotion by coming runners-up to

Harbin Songbei Yiteng Shaoxing Keqiao Yuejia Football Club () is a professional Chinese Association football, football club that participates in the China League Two division under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Shaoxing, Zhe ...

at the end of the

2011 China League Two The 2011 China League Two season is the 22nd season since its establishment in 1989. League kicked off on 8 May 2011 and ended on 24 November 2011. Clubs Managerial changes Group Stage Standings North Group South Group Group Stage resul ...

campaign. While he helped establish Chongqing within the second division throughout the 2012 campaign this could not be repeated in the 2013 campaign and the club were relegated at the end of the season and then dissolved. In March 2014, Xiao transferred to China League Two side

Meizhou Kejia Meizhou Hakka Football Club (; Hakka language: Mòi-Chû Hag-Ga chuk-khiù khî-lo̍k-phu) is a professional Chinese football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). ...

. He would go on to help guide the club to win the division title in a penalty shoot-out against

Dalian Transcendence Dalian Transcendence Football Club () is a Chinese football club based in Dalian, Liaoning. Founded in 2013, the club played in the Chinese professional league between 2014 and 2018. They quit from the professional league and turn as amateur in Ja ...

and promotion to the second tier for the first time in the clubs history. On 7 December 2016, Xiao moved to fellow League Two side Sichuan Longfor. Once again he moved a level down to join another ambitious club that would push for promotion, achieving this at the end of the

2018 China League Two The 2018 Chinese Football Association Division Two League season was the 29th season since its establishment in 1989. The league is expanded to 28 teams, with 14 teams in North Group and 14 teams in South Group. On 11 July 2018, Anhui Hefei Guig ...

campaign. The club was dissolved after they failed to submit the salary & bonus confirmation form before the 2020 season. Xiao would rejoin Meizhou and would then go on to be a member of the team that gained promotion to the top tier after coming second within the division at the end of the

2021 China League One The 2021 China League One ( zh, 2021中国足球协会甲级联赛) is the 18th season of the China League One, the second tier of the Chinese football league pyramid, since its establishment in 2004. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic The 2021 Chi ...

campaign.

Career statistics

''Statistics accurate as of match played 21 December 2022.''

Honours

Club

* China League One:

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

* China League Two:

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

Sichuan Longfor * China League Two:

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Xiao, Zhen 1987 births Living people Chinese men's footballers Men's association football defenders Footballers from Dalian Liaoning F.C. players Meizhou Hakka F.C. players Sichuan Longfor F.C. players Chinese Super League players China League One players China League Two players