Gao Leilei

Gao Leilei
高雷雷
Personal information
Full nameGao Leilei
Date of birthJuly 15, 1980
Place of birthBeijing, China
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionAttacking Midfielder
Club information
Current team
Shanghai Retired FC
Youth career
1996–1997Beijing Electric Bus
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998Wuhan7(0)
1999–2007Beijing Guoan121(11)
2006–2007→ New Zealand Knights (loan)7(1)
2007MyPa7(2)
2008Wellington Phoenix8(0)
2009Beijing Hongdeng1(0)
2009FC KooTeePee9(0)
2010NSC Minnesota Stars10(1)
2010Beijing Baxy11(2)
Total181(17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 4, 2010.
† Appearances (Goals).
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Gao.

Gao Leilei (Simplified Chinese: 高雷雷) (born July 15, 1980) is a former Chinese footballer.

Career

China

Gao began his professional career with Wuhan in 1998, before moving to Beijing Guoan in 1999. It was with Beijing Guoan that Gao first gained the public notice of Chinese football community when he scored an equalizer against Liaoning in the last round of 1999 Jia A. Gao spent eight years in total at Guoan, making 121 appearances for the team and scoring 11 goals.

New Zealand and Finland

Towards the end of the 2006 season, Gao expressed his wish to leave the team and seek other options. There were spectulations that Gao was going to a team in the Segunda División in Spain, but in December 2006 he was loaned to A-League club New Zealand Knights for a short period. Gao made this debut in the A-League for the Knights on December 3, 2006 against Newcastle Jets, and scored his first A-League goal in his second match against Adelaide United.

Following the dissolution of the Knights franchise, Gao moved to Finland and signed with team MyPa, and in doing so became the first Chinese footballer to play in the Veikkausliiga. Gao made his debut against FC Honka as a substitute on April 22, 2007, and made his first start for against TPS Turku on April 26, 2007.

On March 18, 2008, Gao signed a one-year contract with New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix, rejoining his former manager from the Knights, Ricki Herbert.[1] However, Gao's contract with the New Zealand club was terminated after a reported disagreement with the front office after just 8 games.[2] Gao was linked with a move to A-League club Perth Glory after training with the club, but was not signed.[3]

On July 3, 2009, Gao returned to Beijing and signed a short contract with Beijing Hongdeng[4] but, after just one month with the team, he transferred to Finland again signing with FC KooTeePee. He made his debut for FC KooTeePee on August 16, 2009 against AC Oulu.[5]

United States

On March 22, 2010 Gao landed in his fourth country when signed with NSC Minnesota Stars of the American USSF Division 2 Professional League.[6] He was released by the team on June 29, 2010,[7] having never really settled in Minnesota, and having scored just one goal in ten games for the Stars.

Return to China

Gao returned to Beijing again and joined Beijing Baxy in July 2010. He scored his first goal on the first appearance, in a 3-0 home win against Anhui Jiufang. Gao announced his retirement from professional football due to problems with injuries on 6 March 2011.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Phoenix strengthen midfield with speedy Gao". stuff.co.nz. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Gao Gone In Phoenix Axing". au.fourfourtwo.com. Nov 19, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  3. ↑ "Piorkowski Off To Gold Coast Too". au.fourfourtwo.com. Nov 20, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  4. ↑ 只为公平高雷雷不踢中超踢中甲 (in Chinese). news.xinmin.cn. 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  5. ↑ "Ykkösen ottelu". fckooteepee.fi. 2009-08-16. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  6. ↑ "NSC Minnesota signs four new players". nscminnesota.org. March 22, 2010. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  7. ↑ "Leilei Gao Released by NSC Minnesota Stars". insidemnsoccer.com. 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  8. ↑ 高雷雷正式宣布退役 31岁就此结束职业足球生涯 (in Chinese). au.fourfourtwo.com. 2011-03-07. Retrieved 2012-06-23.

External links