Yu Jinyong (; born 6 July 2004) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Chinese Super League club Shandong Taishan, and the China under-23 national team.
Club career Yu Jinyong was born on 6 July 2004 in Shenyang, Liaoning, and went through the Shandong Taishan youth academy.
In 2021, as a 16-year-old, Yu Jinyong was named in Shandong Taishan's 35-man squad for the upcoming 2021 Chinese Super League season. He failed to make a single appearance during the season, but followed the team to a Chinese Super League title, the club's first in eleven years.
In August 2023, Yu Jinyong went on trial to Belgian club Royal Charleroi under the recommendation of then-teammate Marouane Fellaini, who dubbed him as a "little Courtois", but he had since returned to China.
On 17 July 2024, Yu Jinyong made his professional and senior debut in a 2024 Chinese FA Cup tie against Qingdao West Coast. On 13 September, he made his Chinese Super League debut, starting in the 1−0 home loss against Qingdao West Coast.
International career
Yu Jinyong was part of the China U20 squad that competed in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup, where his role had been a back-up goalkeeper.
On 5 April 2024, he was named in China's final squad of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. On 16 April 2024, in China's first group stage match against Japan, he came on as a substitute for Duan Dezhi in the 88th minute of the game as a striker. In a post-match interview, China U23 head coach Cheng Yaodong claimed that the substitution had previously been envisioned in his tactics.
Personal life Yu Jinyong was born to his father , a former Liaoning and Chinese international footballer, and his mother, Hu Jie, a Chinese former volleyball player.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season, and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsShandong Taishan2021Chinese Super League0000––002022Chinese Super League000000–002023Chinese Super League00000000002024Chinese Super League101000–202025Chinese Super League7000––70 Total8010000090 Career total8010000090
Honours Shandong Taishan Chinese Super League: 2021 Chinese FA Cup: 2021, 2022
References
External links