Xu Xu (Chinese: 胥栩; born 13 January 1998) is a Chinese former footballer who played as a midfielder, winger, or forward.

Xu Xu
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-01-13) 13 January 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Shehong, Suining, Sichuan, China[1]
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder, winger, forward
Youth career
2005–2013 Shandong Luneng
2013 Terrassa
2013–2016 Cornellà
2016 Espanyol
2016–2017 Sant Andreu
2017 Granada
2017Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic (youth loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic 25 (0)
Total 25 (0)
International career
2015 China U19
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Born in Shehong, Suining, Sichuan, Xu started his career at the age of seven with Shandong Luneng, who he captained at youth level.[2] In 2013, Xu trialed for the youth academy of Barcelona, Spain's most successful club, after receiving an offer to join the youth academy of Metz in France, where his father said, "I feel that these Barcelona U17 players are also playing average, and few are better than my kids".[3] Having failed to get into Barcelona's academy, he instead joined Terrassa.[2] This spell was short-lived, as he joined Cornellà at the age of fifteen.[4]

In 2016, he became the first Chinese player to sign for Espanyol, but stayed for less than a year before joining Sant Andreu.[2][4] In February 2017, he joined Granada, and was loaned to Chinese Super League side Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic, where he did not make an appearance.[4]

He returned to Granada, but moved back to China to sign for Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic in the Chinese third division, helping them achieve promotion to the Chinese second division.[4]

He retired in 2022, following his release by Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Xu Xu at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c "遂宁射洪"小梅西"胥栩,入选国青试训巴塞即将重返中超" [Suining Shehong's "Little Messi" Xu Xu, was selected for the national youth trial training and Barcelona is about to return to the Super League]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 7 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ "曾经的四川"少年梅西",被亲爹坑惨,如今连中甲都坐不稳". news.qq.com. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "博主:西班牙人历史第一位中国球员胥栩,仅24岁便选择退役" [Blogger: Xu Xu, the first Chinese player in Spaniard history, chose to retire at the age of only 24]. news.zhibo8.cc (in Chinese). 15 May 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
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