Song Zhenyu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Song Zhenyu
宋振瑜

| image = File:Song Zhenyu, China national football team 06-JUN-2008-ANZstad (cropped).jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|9|21}}

| birth_place = Dalian, China

| height = 1.91 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 = 1995–1998 | youthclubs1 = Sichuan Quanxing

| years1 = 1999–2001 | clubs1 = Sichuan Quanxing | caps1 = 13 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2002 | clubs2 = → Chongqing Lifan (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2003 | clubs3 = → Dalian Shide (loan) | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2004 | clubs4 = Dalian Shide | caps4 = 9 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2005 | clubs5 = Sichuan Guancheng | caps5 = 25 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2006–2009 | clubs6 = Shenyang Ginde | caps6 = 97 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2010–2011 | clubs7 = Chengdu Blades | caps7 = 33 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2011–2012 | clubs8 = Tianjin Teda | caps8 = 30 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2013–2016 | clubs9 = Changchun Yatai | caps9 = 65 | goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2017–2021 | clubs10= Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic | caps10 = 74 | goals10 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2008–2009 | nationalteam1 = China

| nationalcaps1 = 12 | nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Song Zhenyu ({{zh|c=宋振瑜|p=Sòng Zhènyú}}; born September 21, 1981) is a Chinese former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Despite being born in Dalian, Liaoning Song Zhenyu would move to Chengdu in the Sichuan province as a boy where he achieved his dream in becoming a professional footballer when he joined top-tier side Sichuan Quanxing in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.sodasoccer.com/search/player/41/80062/C4F7AE3E169A81A8.shtml|title=宋振瑜|publisher=sodasoccer.com|date=2019-10-31|access-date=2020-08-19}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325205331/http://www.sodasoccer.com/search/player/41/80062/C4F7AE3E169A81A8.shtml |date=2015-03-25}} For the next two seasons he played understudy to Gao Jianbin and made thirteen league appearances during the periods that Gao Jianbin was injured; however, being unable to permanently claim the first-choice goalkeeping position, Song was loaned out to Chongqing Lifan and his hometown football team Dalian Shide.{{cite web |url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/17320.html |title=Sòng, Zhènyú |website=National-Football-Teams.com |access-date=2012-08-21}} After his loan period expired with Dalian Shide the club would decide to make a permanent move for Song where he played understudy to An Qi and made nine league appearances.

At the beginning of the 2005 league season Song rejoined his first club Sichuan Quanxing (who had renamed themselves Sichuan Guancheng) and immediately became the team's first-choice goalkeeper and helped guide the club to a ninth-place finish at the end of the season; however this wasn't enough for Sichuan in stopping them disbanding the team. In the 2006 league season Song moved to Shenyang Ginde where he rose to prominence by becoming their first choice goalkeeper. The following season would see him continue his establishment within the team despite the club's decision to move to Changsha and rename themselves Changsha Ginde. In 2008 Song became his country's first choice goalkeeper, then he tended to his wife while she battled and recovered from a brain tumor while also having to help guide Changsha Ginde away from relegation at the end of the season.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sohu.com/20081212/n261167633.shtml|title=国门宋振瑜欲卖房救妻爱人患上脑瘤需开刀(图)|publisher=sports.sohu.com|date=2008-12-12|accessdate=2012-08-21}}

By the 2010 league season Song proclaimed his desire to move back to Chengdu with his wife while she gave birth to their child and wanted to join second-tier football team Chengdu Blades. He got his wish when he joined Chengdu Blades on the final day of the transfer deadline and played in twenty-four league games in their successful promotion push to the Chinese Super League.{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/j/2010-02-13/05454837751.shtml|title=前国门宋振瑜正式转会谢菲联成足主力刘成加盟长沙|publisher=sports.sina.com.cn|date=2010-02-13|accessdate=2012-08-21}} Chengdu Blades would however struggle in the top tier and after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Shanghai Shenhua, Song as well several other first team players would be dropped from the team.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/05/28/china-pr/super-league/shanghai-shenhua/chengdu-blades/1097708/|title=Shanghai Shenhua vs. Chengdu Blades 4-1|publisher=soccerway.com|date=28 May 2011|accessdate=2012-08-21}} Halfway through the league season he joined Tianjin Teda F.C. for 1.5 million RMB where he established himself as the first choice goalkeeper and won the 2011 Chinese FA Cup in his debut season.{{cite web|url=http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/news/spt/chnfootball/sinacn/20111122/03162935980.html|title=宋振瑜稱阿里漢是真正功臣爆料李瑋鋒怕老婆牌技臭|publisher=dailynews.sina.com|date=2011-11-22|accessdate=2012-08-21}}

On 27 February 2017, Song transferred to China League Two side Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic.[http://sports.sohu.com/20170227/n481808270.shtml 陕足签宋振瑜等三将，新“西北狼”蓄势待发] at sports.sohu.com 2017-02-27 Retrieved 2016-03-14

Song retired after the 2021 season.{{cite web|url=https://m.dongqiudi.com/article/2630336.html |title=前国脚宋振瑜退役，中国队官方送祝福|language=zh|publisher=Dongqiudi|date=11 March 2022|accessdate=12 March 2022}}

International career

Song Zhenyu would be called up to the Chinese senior team in 2007 after recently appointed manager Vladimir Petrović decided he was looking for a new goalkeeper. He would fight for the goalkeeping position against Zong Lei and would eventually make his first full international cap for China against Mexico on April 16, 2008 in a 1-0 defeat.{{cite web|url=http://www.football-lineups.com/match/16910/|title=Friendlies 2008|publisher=football-lineups.com|date=16 April 2008|accessdate=2012-08-21}} Under Petrović's reign Song would become his countries first choice goalkeeper until Gao Hongbo became the Chinese new manager and decided to drop Song from the squad.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan=4\|Sichuan Quanxing	1999	rowspan=3\|Chinese Jia-A League	0	0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|0	0
2000	7	0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|7	0
2001	6	0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|6	0
colspan="2"\|Total !13\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|13\|\|0
Chongqing Lifan (loan)	2002	rowspan=2\|Chinese Jia-A League	3	0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|3	0
Dalian Shide (loan)	2003	0	0		0	colspan="2"
\|0	0	colspan="2"
\|0	0
Dalian Shide	2004	rowspan=6\|Chinese Super League	9	0		0		0		0	colspan="2"
\|9	0
Sichuan Guancheng	2005	25	0		0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|25	0
rowspan=5\|Shenyang Ginde	2006	26	0		0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|26	0
2007	26	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|26	0
2008	16	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|16	0
2009	29	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|29	0
colspan="2"\|Total !97\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|97\|\|0
rowspan=3\|Chengdu Blades	2010	China League One	24	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|24	0
2011	Chinese Super League	9	0	1	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|10	0
colspan="2"\|Total !33\|\|0\|\|1\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|34\|\|0
rowspan=3\|Tianjin Teda	2011	rowspan=2\|Chinese Super League	15	0	3	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|18	0
2012	15	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|4	0	1{{efn\|name=CFASC\|Appearances in Chinese FA Super Cup}}	0	20	0
colspan="2"\|Total !30\|\|0\|\|3\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|4\|\|0\|\|1\|\|0\|\|38\|\|0
rowspan=5\|Changchun Yatai	2013	rowspan=4\|Chinese Super League	21	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|21	0
2014	20	0	1	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|21	0
2015	19	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|20	0
2016	5	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|5	0
colspan="2"\|Total !65\|\|0\|\|1\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|66\|\|0
rowspan=6\|Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic	2017	rowspan=2\|China League Two	24	0	1	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|25	0
2018	32	0	2	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|34	0
2019	rowspan=3\|China League One	16	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|16	0
2020	2	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|2	0
2021	0	0	0	0	colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|colspan="2"
\|0	0
colspan="2"\|Total !74\|\|0\|\|3\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|77\|\|0
colspan=3 \| Career total !349\|\|0\|\|8\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|4\|\|0\|\|1\|\|0\|\|362\|\|0

Honours

Tianjin Teda

Chinese FA Cup: 2011{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/j/2011-11-19/18005835265.shtml|title=足协杯-王新欣于大宝联手逆转天津2-1胜山东夺冠|publisher=Sports.sina.com.cn|date=2011-11-19|access-date=2019-08-20}}