Wang Gang (footballer)

Wang Gang (simplified Chinese: 王刚; traditional Chinese: 王剛; pinyin: Wáng Gāng; born 17 February 1989 in Tianjin) is a Chinese footballer who currently plays for Beijing Guoan.

Wang Gang

Personal information
Full name	Wang Gang
Date of birth	(1989-02-17) 17 February 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Tianjin, China
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker, Right winger, Right-back
Team information
Current team	Beijing Guoan
Number	27
Youth career
1999–2007	Tianjin Locomotive
2007–2008	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2009	Chaves	22	(3)
2009–2011	Beira-Mar	40	(5)
2011–2014	Shandong Luneng	19	(0)
2011	→ S.C. Covilhã (loan)	13	(1)
2015	S.G. Sacavenense	1	(0)
2015–2018	Beijing Renhe	83	(8)
2019–	Beijing Guoan	101	(2)
International career^‡
2019–	China	12	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 January 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2021

In this Chinese name, the family name is Wang.

Club career

Wang Gang began his football career with the Tianjin Locomotive youth teams before being called up to the Chinese U17 team where he was part of the squad that won the 2004 AFC U-17 Championship.^[1] This was followed with inclusion in the team that participated in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship.^[2] After the tournament he would sign for Portuguese club S.L. Benfica initially for one year with the option of a further three.^[3] At Benfica he would play for their youth team before he moved to third-tier club Chaves.^[4]

Wang transferred to S.C. Beira-Mar in 2009. He played 26 games during the 2009–10 season, and was a substitute for 24 of the 26 matches he played in, which was the record in 2009-10 season. Wang went back to China to play for Shandong Luneng, but was immediately sent on loan to S.C. Covilhã of the Portuguese Segunda Liga. He returned to Shandong after playing 13 games for S.C. Covilhã, scoring one goal.

On his return to Shandong he was unable to establish himself within the team and on 4 February 2015 he transferred to third tier Portuguese club S.G. Sacavenense.^[5] After only one game he returned back to China to join top tier club Guizhou Renhe on 25 June 2015. He go on to make his debut on 27 June 2015, in a league game against Liaoning Whowin in a 2-1 defeat where he also scored his first goal for the club.^[6] Unfortunately he would be part of the team that was relegated at the end of the 2015 Chinese Super League season.^[7] He would remain loyal towards the club as they moved locations, renamed themselves Beijing Renhe and gained promotion back into the top tier at the end of the 2016 league season.^[8]

On 25 February 2019, Wang transferred to Chinese Super League side Beijing Sinobo Guoan.^[9] He would make his debut for them in a league game on 1 March 2019 against Wuhan Zall in a 1-0 victory.^[10]

International career

Wang Gang was called up to and made his first appearance for these China's national football team on 3 March 2010, in a friendly match against Portugal, however, the game was not recognised by FIFA.^[11] He made his official debut for the Chinese national team in a 1-0 loss against Thailand in the 2019 China Cup.

Career statistics

Club statistics

Statistics accurate as of match played 31 January 2023.^[12]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
G.D. Chaves	2008-09	Portuguese Second Division	22	3	0	0	0	0	-		-		22	3
S.C. Beira-Mar	2009-10	Liga de Honra	26	4	4	0	4	0	-		-		34	4
	2010-11	Primeira Liga	14	1	0	0	2	0	-		-		16	1
	Total		40	5	4	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	50	5
Shandong Luneng	2012	Chinese Super League	4	0	0	0	-		-		-		4	0
	2013		14	0	2	1	-		-		-		16	1
	2014		1	0	0	0	-		0	0	-		1	0
	Total		19	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	1
S.C. Covilhã (loan)	2011-12	Liga de Honra	13	1	2	0	0	0	-		-		15	1
S.G. Sacavenense	2014-15	Campeonato Nacional	1	0	0	0	0	0	-		-		1	0
Guizhou Renhe/ Beijing Renhe	2015	Chinese Super League	11	2	1	0	-		-		-		12	2
	2016	China League One	29	3	0	0	-		-		-		29	3
	2017		18	2	1	0	-		-		-		19	2
	2018	Chinese Super League	25	1	1	0	-		-		-		26	1
	Total		83	8	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	86	8
Beijing Guoan	2019	Chinese Super League	25	0	2	0	-		5	0	0^[a]	0	32	0
	2020		18	0	1	0	-		6	0	-		25	0
	2021		12	0	0	0	-		0	0	-		12	0
	2022		27	2	0	0	-		-		-		27	2
	Total		82	2	3	0	0	0	11	0	0	0	96	2
Career Total			260	19	14	1	6	0	11	0	0	0	291	20

1. Appearance in Chinese FA Super Cup

International statistics

National team
Year	Apps	Goals
2019	8	0
2020	0	0
2021	4	0
Total	12	0

Honours

Club

Beira-Mar

• Liga de Honra: 2009–10

Shandong Luneng Taishan

• Chinese FA Cup: 2014

International

China U-17

• AFC U-17 Championship: 2004

References

1. "Asian U-17 Championship 2004". RSSSF. 2006-02-11. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
2. . fifa.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
3. "火车头天津小将加盟豪门 王刚转会葡萄牙本菲卡". sports.sohu.com. 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
4. "回顾旅葡中国球员". huarenpt.net. 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
5. "鲁能悍将转投葡第三级联赛 上赛季仅打8分钟中超". 163.com. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
6. "LIAONING HONGYUN VS. BEIJING CHENGFENG 2 - 1". soccerway.com. 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
7. "China 2015". rsssf.org. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
8. . fa.org.cn. 2016-01-06. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
9. 国安官宣人和边路快马加盟 曾留洋葡萄牙将穿27号 at sina.com 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2019-02-25 (in Chinese)
10. "WUHAN YANGTZE VS. BEIJING GUOAN 0 - 1". soccerway.com. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
11. [1] at sports.sohu.com 2010-03-05 Retrieved 2012-08-28
12. 王刚 at sodasoccer.com Retrieved 2015-11-01 (in Chinese) 2018-11-16 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Official Instagram Of Wang Gang
• Wang Gang at National-Football-Teams.com
• Wang Gang at Soccerway
• G.D. Chaves profile (in Portuguese)