He Xiaoke: Studying Abroad to Play Football is Extremely Cruel; Besides Focusing on Technique, One Must Also Try Their Best to Integrate into the Local Environment

In the latest episode of “Football Night,” national youth team player He Xiaoke stated that studying abroad to play football is extremely cruel. In addition to technical skills, the ability to integrate into the local environment will also determine whether one can truly establish themselves in European football.

He Xiaoke said, “I went abroad to play football at the age of 17. At that time, I was still a young man with lofty aspirations, and my goal was to pursue my dreams because my dream was to play in the top five leagues, just like Wu Lei. During the final year playing with the senior team, I encountered some unprecedented difficulties, with very few opportunities, compounded by injury issues. This allowed me to see the cruelty of professional football, and even the cruelty of studying abroad.”

“My age group is a rather awkward age group, similar to fresh graduates looking for jobs. The competitors you face are no longer the young players from before; they generally have 5 to 10 years more work experience than you, and their understanding of the workplace and handling of interpersonal relationships are more proficient than yours.”

“I am still in Europe, in Spain, a football powerhouse. Can you imagine that my competitors all come from the youth training of Barcelona or Real Madrid? In such an environment, it is very difficult to secure your own position.”

“In fact, not only abroad, but also domestically, it’s not like returning will automatically grant you a lot of playing time. I am currently in the first team of Mount Tai. My teammates in the same position are all national team players with rich experience and excellent skills. Whether domestically or abroad, competition exists. Therefore, young players should focus on improving themselves, becoming stronger, and waiting for their own opportunities.”

“Relatively speaking, the difficulty of competition is greater abroad. If you have a good diploma, such as graduating from the youth team of Barcelona or Espanyol, you will have priority in signing contracts. As an outsider, if you do not have a cliff-like advantage in terms of competitiveness and cannot bring tactical improvements to the team, they will not give you opportunities on equal terms over local players.”

“This is a common situation across all levels and teams in Spain. No matter whether it’s in the youth training or professional stage, even if your training performance is good for a period of time, your ranking with the head coach remains low.”

“Playing football isn’t just about kicking with your feet. Your state in the locker room and whether you are in a good mood will determine whether you can unleash yourself when stepping onto the field. If you remain silent in the locker room, sitting in a corner like someone who is ostracized, you won’t perform well on the field. Young players who want to study abroad must try to integrate into their environment, treating themselves as locals, only then can they grow within their system. Whether they can compete and win depends on personal opportunities.”

“Now many people compare Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean players, but most Japanese and South Korean players did not grow up in the European youth training system. Looking at their resumes, many of them emerged from the K-League or J-League. After accumulating match experience in their domestic leagues, they move to second and third-tier European leagues before entering the top-tier European leagues.”