Wang Dalei

Wang Dalei is a Chinese goalkeeper, born on January 10, 1989 in Dalian, China.

Wang Dalei joined Shanghai United in 2006 after breaking through at hometown club Dalian Tielu. Aged 17, he debuted in the first team and became the youngest goalie in the history of the Chinese football. After producing a number of excellent saves the young shot stopper became number one in the team. His debut season saw him make 22 starts. When the season drew to a close, Wang Dalei clutched the Chinese Young Player of the Year award.

After the merger of Shanghai United and Shanghai Shenhua in 2007 the keeper started to struggle for a regular place. He had a trial with Manchester City but didn’t manage to make the most of his chances and returned to Shanghai Shenhua. In 2009 Wang Dalei had another trial, this time with PSV Eindhoven but again failed to impress the then-manager enough to earn a contract. He missed the pre-season training and became the second-choice keeper in Shanghai Shenhua. In 2010 Wang Dalei reclaimed his place as the first choice in goal.

In January 2014 Dalei Wang moved to Shandong Luneng in a hefty transfer that cost almost five million euros.

The goalkeeper claimed international honours, representing China at U-17 and U-23 levels. As part of the China U-17 team Wang Dalei won the AFC U-17 Championship in 2004. On September 6, 2012 he made his senior international debut in the match against Sweden. China lost that game but Wang Dalei was named the Man of the Match after a string of world-class saves.