Zhang Zili
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 January 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Chengdu, Sichuan, China | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Guangxi Pingguo | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2021 | Evergrande Football School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Guangzhou FC | 24 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Haikou Mingcheng (loan) | 26 | (4) |
| 2025– | Guangxi Pingguo | 8 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:01, 20 June 2025 (UTC) | |||
Zhang Zili (Chinese: 张子立; born 23 January 2002) is a Chinese footballer currently playing as a midfielder for Guangxi Pingguo.
Career
Guangzhou
Born in Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China, Zhang did not have a particular interest in football as a child, but would follow his father to watch him play.[1] He joined the Evergrande Football School in 2012, at the age of ten, but initially struggled to settle, and his father would travel to visit him in order to help.[1] In 2016 he travelled with other students to Spain as part of the Evergrande Spanish Football School programme, where he helped his side win the Madrid Coslada Cup.[1] After winning the 2018 Madrid U16 Youth Cup, beating Atlético Madrid's Cadete B team in the final, he was named captain of the squad to represent the school in 2019.[1]
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, Guangzhou sent a squad of youth team players to represent them in the 2021 edition of the AFC Champions League. After making his professional debut in Guangzhou's 2–0 loss to Japanese club Cerezo Osaka on 24 June 2021, his handball in the match against Hong Kong's Kitchee six days later allowed Montenegrin striker Dejan Damjanović to score the game's only goal from the penalty spot.[2]
After making a few appearances in the 2022 season, Zhang could not prevent the club from being relegated to the China League One. After a poor start to the 2023 season, he took to social media to apologise for his and the club's performances, also denying rumours of an internal rift at the club.[3]
Guangxi Pingguo
Having spent the 2024 season on loan at China League Two club Haikou Mingcheng, Zhang joined Guangxi Pingguo in early 2025 after Guangzhou were disbanded following the expiration of his loan.[4]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 20 June 2025.[5]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Guangzhou | 2021 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | China League One | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Haikou Mingcheng (loan) | 2024 | China League Two | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | |
| Guangxi Pingguo | 2025 | China League One | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Career total | 58 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 4 | ||
- ^ Includes Chinese FA Cup
- ^ Appearances in the AFC Champions League
References
- ^ a b c d "从半路出家到戴队长袖标 17岁足球少年7载绿茵梦" [From a late starter to wearing the captain's armband, the 17-year-old football boy's 7-year football dream]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 22 April 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "广州0-1杰志遭四连败提前出局，德扬连场点杀，张子立送点" [Guangzhou 0-1 Kitchee suffered four consecutive defeats and was eliminated early, Dejan scored consecutive points, Zhang Zili gave away points]. m.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 3 July 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "另辟蹊径！张子立在线辟谣广州队内讧，梅方率队替八冠王狩猎影豹" [Find a new way! Zhang Zili refuted the rumor of internal strife in the Guangzhou team online, Mei Fang led the team to hunt for the eight-time champion]. 163.com (in Chinese). 3 August 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "广西平果足球新星崛起：张子立、陈世豪、姚又楠加盟的背后故事" [The rise of new football stars in Pingguo, Guangxi: the story behind the joining of Zhang Zili, Chen Shihao and Yao Younan]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 11 March 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Zhang Zili at Soccerway