Hu Hetao

In this Chinese name, the family name is Hu.
Hu Hetao
Hu Hetao in August 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-10-05) 5 October 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Wanzhou, Chongqing, China
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Left wing-back
Team information
Current team
 Chengdu Rongcheng
Number 2
Youth career
–2022 Chengdu Rongcheng
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Chengdu Rongcheng 52 (3)
International career‡
2023 China U20 7 (0)
2023– China U23 3 (0)
2024– China 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2024

Hu Hetao (simplified Chinese: 胡荷韬; traditional Chinese: 胡荷韜; pinyin: Hú Hétāo; born 5 October 2003) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a left wing-back for Chinese Super League club Chengdu Rongcheng and the China national team.

Early life

Born in Wanzhou, Chongqing,[1] Hu Hetao attended Chongqing Yucai Secondary School until 2018, prior to starting a professional football career. In 2022, after spending the few years prior preparing for Gaokao, he was called up to the Chengdu Rongcheng first-team.[2]

Club career

Before the 2022 Chinese Super League season, Hu Hetao was named in Chengdu Rongcheng's 31-man first-team squad,[3] to which Hu Hetao reacts as "fulfilling his dream."[2] He made his professional debut in the Chinese Super League on 4 June 2022 in a match against Shenzhen, playing 74 minutes as a starter at left wing-back.[4] He scored his first senior goal a month later on 11 July 2022, providing an equalising goal after coming on as a substitute, to see Chengdu Rongcheng eventually turn the game around, winning 2–1 away against Meizhou Hakka.[5] After putting in a good shift against Wuhan Three Towns on 23 December 2022, Hu Hetao was selected as the CSL's Player of the Round.[6] After a successful debut season with Chengdu Rongcheng, he was shortlisted as a candidate for the club's player of the season.[7]

In the 2023 season, Hu Hetao was regularly called up to the China U20 and the China U23 national teams, participating in months-long national team training camps. As a result, he could not find consistent game time at club level, and caused a steep dip in his form,[8] only managing eight appearances in all competitions throughout the season.[9]

International career

In February 2023, Hu was selected as part of the China U20 squad for the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup.[10] Throughout the year of 2023, Hu Hetao was called up to several months-long training camps at the U20 and the U23 levels.[11][12][13]

On 5 April 2024, Hu was included in the China U23 squad for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.[14]

Hu made his debut for the China national team on 10 October 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. He played the full game as Australia won 3–1.[15]

Personal life

Hu Hetao was a ball boy at the 2021 Chinese FA Cup final.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 10 December 2024[9]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chengdu Rongcheng 2022 Chinese Super League 23 1 2 0 – – 25 1
2023 Chinese Super League 8 0 1 0 – – 8 0
2024 Chinese Super League 16 2 3 0 – – 19 2
Total 47 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 52 3
Career total 47 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 52 3

References

  1. ^ "姓名男出生日期身份证号码代表单位" (PDF). www.thecfa.cn (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "成都小将胡荷韬：这半年一直在准备高考，进一队是圆了足球梦". www.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). Dongqiudi. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  3. ^ "【职业足球】成都蓉城队2022赛季大名单出炉！". www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Sohu. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  4. ^ "SHENZHEN VS. CHENGDU RONGCHENG 2 - 0". int.soccerway.com. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  5. ^ "恭喜！成都蓉城小将胡荷韬替补建功斩获职业生涯首球". www.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 11 July 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  6. ^ "官方：成都蓉城19岁小将胡荷韬当选中超第32轮最佳球员". www.ppsport.com (in Chinese). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  7. ^ "兴城人居·成都蓉城队2022赛季最佳球员评选" (in Chinese). Chengdu Rongcheng F.C. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  8. ^ "体坛周报谏言足协：警惕"胡荷韬危局"蔓延，不如重启中超杯". new.qq.com (in Chinese). 28 October 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Hu Hetao at Soccerway
  10. ^ "国青赴乌兹别克斯坦参加U20亚洲杯 小组出线成奢望" [The national youth team goes to Uzbekistan to participate in the U20 Asian Cup] (in Chinese (China)). Sohu. 23 February 2023.
  11. ^ "中国足球协会关于中国U-20国家男子足球队2023年第一期集训的通知" (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  12. ^ "中国足球协会关于组织奥林匹克男子足球队2023年第二期集训的通知" (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  13. ^ "中国足球协会关于组织奥林匹克男子足球队2023年第五期集训的通知" (in Chinese). Chinese Football Association. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  14. ^ "男足国奥队参加卡塔尔U23亚洲杯名单公布" [The men's Olympic football team's roster for the U23 Asian Cup in Qatar is announced]. sports.xinhuanet.com (in Chinese). 5 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Australia v China game report". ESPN. 10 October 2024.
  16. ^ "胡荷韬：年初还在凤凰山当球童看球，今天用胜利献给成都球迷". www.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 23 December 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.