Yu Jinyong

Yu Jinyong (; born 6 July 2004) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Chinese Super League club Shandong Taishan, and the China under-23 national team.

Club career Yu Jinyong was born on 6 July 2004 in Shenyang, Liaoning, and went through the Shandong Taishan youth academy. Yu Jinyong was named in Shandong Taishan's 35-man squad for the upcoming 2021 Chinese Super League season. He failed to make a single appearance during the season,

In August 2023, Yu Jinyong went on trial to Belgian club Royal Charleroi under the recommendation of then-teammate Marouane Fellaini, who dubbed him as a "little Courtois", but he had since returned to China.

On 17 July 2024, Yu Jinyong made his professional and senior debut in a 2024 Chinese FA Cup tie against Qingdao West Coast. On 13 September, he made his Chinese Super League debut, starting in the 1−0 home loss against Qingdao West Coast.

International career

Yu Jinyong was part of the China U20 squad that competed in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup, where his role had been a back-up goalkeeper.

On 5 April 2024, he was named in China's final squad of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. On 16 April 2024, in China's first group stage match against Japan, he came on as a substitute for Duan Dezhi in the 88th minute of the game, as a striker. In a post-match interview, China U23 head coach Cheng Yaodong claimed that the substitution had previously been envisioned in his tactics.

Personal life Yu Jinyong was born to his father , a former Liaoning and Chinese international footballer, and his mother, Hu Jie, a Chinese former volleyball player.

Honours Shandong Taishan Chinese Super League: 2021 Chinese FA Cup: 2021, 2022