Li Lei spent his youth career at his hometown team Qingdao Hailifeng and would go on to establish himself as left midfielder before recently promoted side Nanchang Hengyuan became interested in him at the end of the 2009 league season where they would promote him to the senior side.
He made his professional football league debut at the age of seventeen on April 17, 2010 against Hangzhou Greentown, however he received a straight red card just ten minutes into his career after fouling Hangzhou player Sun Ji.[1] Despite this setback once his suspension ended he was immediately brought back into the senior side and start the next possible game on May 9, 2010 against Shaanxi Zhongjian.
He scored his first goal for Shanghai Shenxin in a 2-0 win against Jiangsu Sainty on the 31st October 2010.[2]
On 28 February 2023, Li terminated his contract with Grasshoppers,[9] despite only having a few more months left of his contract. In his 14 appearances, 13 in the league and one in the cup, he supplied one assist.[10]
^"中国男足亚洲杯集训名单出炉 唯一新面孔是个门将" [Chinese men's football team's Asian Cup roster released, the only new face is a goalkeeper] (in Chinese). China Youth Net. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.