After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

When Yan Yuan, wearing Arsenal's red and white number 7 jersey, repeatedly broke through enemy lines in the Premier League.

The waves he stirred up have long since transcended the British Isles and European football, crossing oceans to create a "football earthquake" in faraway China.

This has a wide-ranging impact.

The effects are not immediately reflected in the national team's performance.

Rather, it has permeated the soil of Chinese football, changing the general public's perception, expectations, and ways of participating in the sport.

before.

For the vast majority of Chinese fans.

The superstars of Europe's top leagues are like stars hanging in the night sky, dazzling and brilliant, yet far away.

Yao Ming's success in the NBA gave basketball unparalleled appeal in China.

Now, Yan Yuan's emergence has lit an unprecedented and more approachable beacon for football, the world's number one sport, in China.

Although Yan Yuan holds a British passport and is a British citizen of Chinese descent, he is still a player of British descent.

But his Eastern face, the connection between his surname and his homeland, and his standard, fluent, and authentic Mandarin.

All of these factors have created a natural sense of identification among Chinese fans.

For domestic fans, Yan Yuan is no longer a completely "other" legend, but a vessel through which they can project their own dreams.

In a well-known sports bar in Beijing.

Large crowds of fans always gather in the early hours of the weekend. In the past, the walls were mostly adorned with jerseys of Messi, Ronaldo, and Beckham.

But now, it's hung in the most prominent position.

It's an Arsenal captain's home jersey printed with "YAN 7".

"Boss, another pitcher of beer! To celebrate our team winning again!" a young man in his early twenties shouted excitedly, wearing the same jersey as Yan Yuan.

An older fan standing nearby, dressed in a traditional Italian team uniform, joked.

"I remember you used to talk about 'the two unparalleled talents, Messi and Ronaldo' all the time. How come you only have eyes for Yan Yuan now?"

The young man answered without hesitation.

"Brother Zhao, this is different. Before, when I watched Messi and Ronaldo, it was about appreciating art and idolizing stars. But watching Yan Yuan play, it feels...it feels much more exciting. Look at his breakthroughs, that never-give-up spirit, and his demeanor during interviews. It feels like he's one of our own. Don't you think that if we had more players nurtured like him from a young age, wouldn't we have a chance?"

Such a dialogue.

It's repeated in countless bars, on campuses, and on online forums.

Veteran fans may still fondly recall Messi's dribbling skills and Ronaldo's incredible goal tally.

But the new generation of young fans are increasingly using "Yan Yuan" and "Arsenal" as their phone wallpapers, social media profile pictures, and the core of their discussions.

In the past, the most common sight on Chinese amateur football fields was Messi and Ronaldo's various club or national team jerseys.

But now, more people are wearing Yan Yuan's number 7 jersey from Arsenal and the national team.

Yan Yuan's success story has been repeatedly analyzed and interpreted by domestic media and football professionals.

He joined Birmingham's youth academy at the age of 12 and then transferred to Paris Saint-Germain's youth team at the age of 15.

Then, at the age of 17, he joined the Bundesliga and made his mark at Hoffenheim, eventually becoming a king at Arsenal.

This clear and step-by-step European youth training and professional development path has become a "textbook" for countless Chinese children and parents with football dreams.

In the past...

Chinese players often face a difficult path to playing abroad, typically only finding a way out after reaching adulthood, and most struggle to establish themselves in top leagues for the long term.

Yan Yuan's model points to a more fundamental path: integrating into Europe's advanced youth training system as early and as quickly as possible.

This shift in perception directly spurred action.

Nowadays, any family with a certain level of financial resources, and whose child shows a strong interest in and talent for football, can easily make a living.

Parents are no longer just considering getting their children into domestic football schools; they are trying every possible way to find opportunities to "go abroad."

In the consultation room of a high-end football youth training institution in Shanghai, coach Li Bin is talking to a pair of anxious parents.

Their son, Xiaoming, is 13 years old and has outstanding skills among his peers.

"Coach Li, we heard that a club in the Netherlands is recruiting for its youth training camp. Do you think it's reliable? Should we let our child give it a try?" the father asked anxiously.

Coach Li Bin pushed up his glasses and said seriously.

"Things are different now than before. The examples are there to show that this path is viable. The key is to find the right channels and choose reputable youth training camps."

The child is young and adaptable; if they can go earlier, they can catch up in terms of language, culture, and football philosophy. Of course, this requires investment, not only financially, but also from parents; at least one parent may need to go and accompany them.

The mother sighed, but her eyes remained firm.

"We can figure out the money. His father can still work harder, and I can also see if I can apply for a transfer to the European branch."

We only have one child. Since he likes it and has such a role model, we want to give it a shot. Back in China, we always feel... it's not quite there yet.

This "take a gamble" mentality is spreading to more and more middle-class families.

Various service agencies providing consultation, selection, and liaison services for European youth training and study abroad have emerged. Although the quality varies, the demand is unprecedented.

What is even more touching is the amazing perseverance shown by some families with limited financial means in pursuit of their children's dreams.

In an ordinary family in Quanzhou, Fujian, the story of the father, Lao Liu, is quietly circulating online.

His son, Xiao Liu, performed exceptionally well in an international youth invitational tournament, which caught the eye of a scout from La Liga club Villarreal. He received a trial invitation and was eventually accepted into their youth academy.

Faced with high costs and an unfamiliar environment,

This family made a difficult but great decision:

The mother quit her job and went to Spain with her son, renting a small room near the club to accompany him during his training and life.

The father, Lao Liu, stayed at home. Originally a factory technician, he resolutely started live-streaming e-commerce to earn more money.

Late at night, in Lao Liu's live broadcast room, the background was filled with posters of various sports stars.

He sold local specialties while chatting with netizens:

"Thanks to my friend 'Gunslinger Forever' for the rocket! Yes, my son plays for Villarreal, yes, that 'Yellow Submarine'... Hard work? Of course it's hard work! But what can I do? My son has this dream, and now he has a role model like Yan Yuan."

This shows that Chinese people can play football well too. As parents, we should give our children a push whenever possible.

I work during the day and do live streaming at night. It's tiring, but seeing the videos of my child training and seeing his progress little by little makes it all worthwhile!

This almost desperate support, though an isolated case, reflects the enormous incentive effect brought about by Yan Yuan's success.

"Going global" is gradually transforming from a choice made by a few elite families into a widely discussed and tried "possibility" for realizing football dreams.

In addition to going abroad, the domestic football environment is also changing.

In major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, professional youth football training institutions are springing up like mushrooms after rain.

These institutions are no longer just about teaching children to play football.

Instead, they introduced a more scientific training system, hired qualified coaches, and even imitated the European youth training model to set up age-group teams.

At a soccer academy called "Future Stars," a coach is giving a lesson to a group of children aged 8-10. After the training session, the children sit together.

The coach asked, "Kids, why do you like playing football?"

A chubby-faced little boy eagerly spoke up.

"Because it's cool! Dribbling past opponents and scoring goals like Yan Yuan is so cool!"

Another little girl said softly, "I want to represent the Chinese women's football team in the World Cup!"

The coach smiled and nodded.

"Very good! It's good to have dreams, but you have to understand that Yan Yuan didn't become a master overnight. He practiced the basics over and over again, just like you all did when he was young. So, we also need to start with the most basic things like ball control and passing..."

These training institutions vary in quality and charge exorbitant fees.

But at least they provide urban children with a relatively standardized platform to get in touch with football, bringing the "football dream" closer from a fantasy to tangible daily training.

Some reputable football organizations even hire foreign coaches, such as those from Europe or Japan, though their tuition fees are higher.

At the same time, the use of urban public spaces is also quietly changing.

Many previously idle vacant lots and abandoned factory areas have been transformed into cage football fields and community football parks.

Of particular note is that these newly built public football fields are often clearly marked:

[This is a public football field. Please do not play frisbee, badminton, tennis, or other sports.]

This seemingly minor rule sends a strong signal:

Society has begun to consciously "carve out space" for football, maintaining its basic space for activities and preventing it from being squeezed out by other emerging trendy sports.

On weekend afternoons, these stadiums are packed with people.

Amateur enthusiasts of all ages can work up a sweat here.

Although the skill levels varied, the pure sense of participation and enthusiasm were rare in recent years.

This is a quiet grassroots revolution.

It may not be able to immediately change the overall situation of Chinese football, but it has indeed sown the seeds of hope.

As more and more children fall in love with football because of Yan Yuan, as more and more families are willing to support their children's football dreams, and as society begins to create a purer space for the sport.

Only then will the future of Chinese football truly have a foundation to look forward to.

Yan Yuan's legend is not only written in England.

It is also being written on the green fields of the East.