Zhang Hongfu

Zhang Hongfu (; born 22 August 2008) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Chinese Super League club Liaoning Tieren.

Early life and youth career Zhang was born on 22 August 2008 in Changchun Jilin, China. His mother is Chinese and his father is Tanzanian. He joined the Evergrande Football School at a young age and progressed through the club's youth academy.

During the 2022–23 season, Zhang was selected for overseas training and registered with Moratalaz Sports School U16B in Spain, competing in the Madrid U16 Regional League (Tier 3). He made 10 appearances, 6 starts, and scored 1 goal. He also played 3 matches (2 starts) for Moratalaz U16A in the Madrid U16 Honor League (Tier 2). In the season break, he won the Madrid Youth Cup (Semana Santa) U16 title with Moratalaz.

In October 2023, as captain of the Evergrande Football School U15 team, Zhang led the team to the national final of the China Youth Football League (U15 group), where they lost to Shandong Taishan U15.

Club career

Guangzhou In 2024, Zhang was promoted to the first team of Guangzhou F.C. to compete in the China League One. In October 2024, he scored 3 goals in the 2024 Chinese Football Association Youth Football Championship (Professional Club U17 Group), helping Guangzhou U17 finish third, and was voted the tournament's best player by the 16 team head coaches and match supervisors.

In 2025, Zhang won the Chinese Youth Football Elite League (Division U-17) title with Evergrande Football School U17.

Liaoning Tieren On 27 February 2026, Liaoning Tieren officially announced the signing of Zhang from Evergrande Football School. The transfer fee was reported to be approximately 1 million yuan.

On 4 July 2026, in the 17th round of the Chinese Super League, Zhang made his professional debut in a 3–1 home victory over Chongqing Tongliang Long, starting and playing the full match.

International career In August 2023, Zhang was called up to the China U15 national team for the 2023 East Asian Football Federation U15 Men's Football Championship held from 1 to 8 September. On 4 September, he scored two goals in a 23–0 victory over Northern Mariana Islands. In July 2024, he was named in the China U16 squad for the sixth training camp and the Peace Cup international invitational tournament in Shenyang. However, he was subsequently excluded from later U16 national team training camps due to repeated violations of team rules and discipline.

Career statistics

Club