China's rising Red star shines

Teenager He Xiaoke dreaming big after impressive start to his career in Belgrade

It doesn't quite match the glamour of La Liga, but after making an encouraging start to his career in Serbia, Chinese teenager He Xiaoke is already hoping to emulate his star compatriot Wu Lei.

Like most young Chinese players, Wu's trail-blazing exploits in Spain, where last year he became the first Chinese to score in La Liga, have become the dream for He. And he could well have improved his chances of success by starting his European odyssey at Red Star Belgrade.

The storied Serbian giant may not be the force it was when greats like Robert Prosinecki and Darko Pancev steered it to the 1991 European Cup title, however the club remains a breeding ground for world-class talent, counting former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic among its more well-known alumni.

Having joined Red Star from Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng early this year, the last three months have been a steep learning curve for He. Now with training suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has had a chance to reflect on a tough but rewarding settling-in period.

"As a soccer player, my dream is to join one of the five major leagues in Europe and become a world-class star one day," He wrote in an update on his personal blog, published on Tuesday.

"I've been trying so hard to fight for the dream and I'm now one step closer to it."

He's first Red Star training session, however, proved to be a real shock to the system.

"I was totally exhausted, which was all I felt that day," recalled He. "The first day of training with the team was Feb 5, and I got up at 5 am. I was only training for an hour, from 6 to 7 am, but training on an empty stomach was too hard for me. Now I'm getting used to it."

Three days later, He made his Red Star debut in a friendly, coming off the bench and seizing his opportunity to shine.

"With just less than 20 minutes to go, I got my chance. I played as a left winger instead of a central role, which is my preferred position," said He. "It was a strange experience for me, but I kept moving and seeking opportunities. I tried my best to show my potential and I finally got my chance to score with a left-footed strike.

"Scoring on my debut was really encouraging and will energize me for future training. As I'm a newcomer, I don't usually make it into the starting XI, but I always tell myself to keep positive all the time."

Sports journalist Miao Yuan revealed on Weibo that He's impressive performances so far have earned the teenager a promotion from Red Star's fourth-tier team to its third-tier side.

"According to his age, He Xiaoke should be playing in the fourth-tier team. But after a week of impressive performances in the third-tier squad, he earned the favor of the coach," said Miao.

"This is the youngster's first promotion on his journey at a foreign club. This is a really positive sign and I hope he can improve step by step in the future."

Yang Tianying, a commentator for China Sports Daily, is also excited by what he's seen so far from He.

"It's not easy for a Chinese player to play abroad. And I hope He can become one of the best examples of young Chinese players coming to a foreign club, even better than his predecessors like Shao Jiayi or Sun Jihai," said Yang, referring to China's former Bundesliga and English Premiership heroes.

"If Chinese soccer could have ten more players like He, there is hope for us."

Off the pitch, things are also going smoothly enough for He in the Serbian capital.

"I was a stranger the first time I walked into the team's dressing room. I introduced myself to get to know everybody, and I received a warm welcome," said He.

"Now I don't need to worry too much as my parents are with me. They take care of my daily life and the club is also supporting me. The club also arranges an English teacher for me. With her help, I've tried my best to improve my oral English and vocabulary."

Compared to Chinese clubs, He says Red Star's management and training methods are very different.

While most Chinese clubs prefer to cocoon their players from the outside world as much as possible during training camps, He says Red Star's youngsters attend school independently from the club, while training times are more flexible.

"In Europe, the clubs do not have the same management like the Chinese clubs," He explained. "So you need to have strong self-discipline and a clear target if you really want to achieve something.

"I will need to make clear plans for myself, and keep fighting for them from the very beginning."