Xu was born on (1987-07-13)13 July 1987 in Dalian, China. He is the only child in his family.[1] His mother was a primary school teacher but Xu hated to study. Thus, he left school after secondary education in Dalian to switch to Dalian Shide's youth academy under his mother's oppositional idea.[2] His mother abandoned interference after the school teacher had told her that Xu has potential in football, so her mother support his football career very much after that.[1]
Club career
Dalian Shide
Xu began his football career at Dalian with Dalian Shide's youth academy. His potential was quickly identified by the First team in 2004.[3] For Xu's first senior season in China, he was only named in the substitutes list for two matches and made no appearances. The two games he was listed on the substitutes list were in November 2004; the match against Shanghai Shenhua on 11 November, and against Tianjin Teda on 24 November.[4] He was sent to the field in the match, which held on 11 November, on the 91st-minute.[5] He came off the bench at the last moment of the game so the report did not show that.[6]
Since Dalian Shide and Citizen organised a project, Dalian Shide sent some youth players to Citizen. In 2005, Xu was sent to Hong Kong, with other teammates such as Chao Pengfei and Ju Yingzhi.[7]
He was called up by Dalian Shide U19 for the 2006 China U19 Champions Cup, and the team won the championship.[8] After the tournament, he returned to Hong Kong side Citizen again with Wang Xuanhong.[3]
Citizen
Xu made his debut in Hong Kong in the 2005–06 season. His first domestic league match was on 15 October against Kitchee.[9] He came on in the 71st-minute as a substitute for So Yiu Man in a 3–0 away defeat.[9] He expressed disappointment about always being used as a substitute.[10] He went back to Dalian over the summer where he made five appearances.[9]
In the 2007–08 season, Xu established himself as a regular first-team player, making 15 appearances in 18 league matches.[11] He helped Citizen to win the 2007–08 Hong Kong FA Cup; during which he appeared in every game.[12] This was the first top-level domestic cup won by Citizen since the club's founding in 1947. This earned him an official transfer to Citizen in the summer of 2008.
Despite many transfer rumours regarding Xu in the winter of 2009, Citizen football department director Pui Ho Wang said that Xu is a "not-for-sale item" at the club.[15]
In a Senior Shield match on Boxing Day in 2009, Xu and Fung Kai Hong verbally abused the referee Gary Wong Po On after a controversial decision.[16] He was subsequently banned for four club matches from 12 January 2010.[16][17] Xu returned in the league match against Sun Hei on 12 March 2010, coming on as a substitute at the 64th-minute for Citizen teammate Wong Yiu Fu and scored a goal during second half injury time.[18]
Xu in a match against Sun Hei on 18 September 2010
Xu signed with South China on 1 June 2010 since he believed it is a suitable time for him to start a new career in a big club like South China at 22 years of age.[21][22] He want to get more honours in South China and he takes the AFC Cup as his first target in club.[20][21][22] His first official match for South China was a league match on 4 September 2010.[23] Xu was the starting player in the game as South China inflicted a 2–0 defeat over his former club Citizen.[23]
The league match against Sun Hei on 18 September 2010 is the 100th official match of Xu's career. In the match, he took a corner kick which was converted into the first goal by Chan Siu Ki.[24] In the end, South China defeated Sun Hei by 2–1 and moved to the top of league table.[24][25]
After the 2010 Asian Games, Xu returned to the club but he played in a new role deep-lying playmaker to spare the right-winger position for Lee Wai Lim. In the league match against Kitchee on 11 December 2010, Xu was sent off for a challenge on Jordi Tarrés.[26] South China lost the game by 3–4 and suffered its first defeat of the 2010–11 season.[26] Xu was blamed by the fans after the match.
2010–11 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield semi-final matches held at Christmas in 2010 and one of two is the first game of Xu after suspension. He was the starting player of the team in the semi-final match against Sun Hei.[27] He delivered a corner to Bai He at 51 minutes and Bai He headed in the goal.[28] South China advanced to the final after the 3–0 victory.[27][28]
Two months later, Xu made his league debut after injury on 31 March in a 3–1 defeat to former club Citizen.[32][33] In the match, Xu scored at the 78-minute after coming on as a substitute just 7 minutes before.[34] Caretaker coach of South China Chan Ho Yin said Xu's recovery could raise the competitiveness of the team and it was a piece of good news before Hong Kong derby.[33] However, South China lost the derby by 2 goals on 3 April even though Xu came on the field at the 32-minute.[35]
South China has won League Cup and FA Cup in the season, but failed in 2012 AFC Cup qualifying.[36] Xu played over 800 minutes in league match, less than last season in Citizen, and scored 4 goals.
2011–12
New coach Ján Kocian appointed Xu as a box-to-box midfielder and played as one of playmakers with captain Li Haiqiang but he could not have a good performance.[37][38] After a downturn of South China, Xu returned to play as a right winger and he scored in the shield match which defeated Sham Shui Po. Ironically, Xu had a mistake which cause Fong Pak Lun scored at the 78-minute in this game.[39] In a league game against Tai Po on 3 December 2011, Xu scored by an assist made by Chan Siu Ki and made an assist for Chan Siu Ki. It led South China to win the game by 3 goals.[40]
In Lunar New Year, South China held a friendly four-team mid-season tournament 2012 Asian Challenge Cup and Xu played both the semi-final and third-place match in the event. However, South China got the fourth place.[41]
TSW Pegasus reformed after the 2011–12 season and was renamed as Sun Pegasus. Xu had agreed terms with the Pegasus for his transfer and the coach Chan Chi Hong claimed that Xu would be a leader of the team even though he is just a young player.[45]
In the team, Xu had more opportunities in his habitual position, the right midfield, so his performance became better much.[46] However, Pegasus ranked the 8th in the league table of the first division after week 9, the mid of the season. Xu scored the 1–1 equaliser in a league match against Southern on 19 January 2013 and earned a valuable point in their race to once again escape from First Division League relegation.[47] Pegasus made consecutive games undefeated after this match.[48]
Before the New Territoriesderby in FA Cup against Tai Po, some media in Hong Kong believe Xu would be the Pegasus's key to winning the match.[46] As expected, Xu scored the only goal in the 77th minute of the 1st leg FA Cup match.[49] Pegasus finally beat Tai Po and advanced to the final of the FA Cup.
Kitchee
Xu joined Kitchee from fellow First Division club Pegasus for an undisclosed fee on 30 May 2013, since Kitchee qualified for 2013 AFC Cupquarter-finals and the team would strengthen their squad with local player.[50]
Xu was called up by the China national under-19 football team between 11 and 15 April 2006 for a four-nation mini-tournament 24th Torneio International do Porto in Portugal. He scored a goal in the match against Portugal.[52][53]
Xu also was called up to China's U-19 squad for the game against Japan's U-20 national team on 26 April 2006,[54] but he did not enter the match.[55]
Hong Kong
2008–09
Xu (white) and Samir Naik (orange) in friendly Hong Kong against India in 2009
Kim Pan-Gon selected Xu for two AFC Asian Cup qualifying matches against Japan in October and November 2009. However, he did not appear in either match and Hong Kong lost by 10 goals to zero in these two matches. In January 2010, he missed the AFC Asian Cup qualifying matches again due to his Chinese passport requiring a visa to enter Bahrain immigration.[61] Hong Kong lost the game against Bahrain by 4 goals.[61]
Xu was selected by Yan Lik Kin for the 2010 Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup. Xu's corner kick assisted Julius Akosah to score the first goal in the first leg. Hong Kong won the first leg 2:1. In the second leg Hong Kong experienced difficulty with Xu missing the match due to illness and Akosah being sent off with a red card during the match. Hong Kong subsequently lost the match 0:2.[62]
Xu was also a member of the Hong Kong squad for the 2010 East Asian Football Championship final competition because of his performance in the 2009 East Asian Games.[63] Nevertheless, Xu didn't start in the first game against South Korea and came on to the field on the 85th-minute after Hong Kong had already given up four goals.[64][65] He played in the starting line-up in the second game against Japan. Xu hit a dangerous-looking direct free kick caught by Seigo Narazaki in second half.[66] Hong Kong also lost by 3 goals.[67] He wasted a scoring opportunity during first half of the game against China.[68]
At the end of the season, Xu was recalled for the friendly against Malaysia in Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground,[75] but he left the team due to injury.[76]
Xu playing for Hong Kong national football team in 2013
2011–12
After a year of leave, Xu went back to the Hong Kong team for 2012 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. He was a start-up player in the 1st leg game on 28 December 2011 but he was tightly marked by Cantonese and did not make any score or assist.[77] Caretaker coach Liu Chun Fai let fast-speed Jaimes McKee take the place of Xu in the 2nd leg.[78] In the match, anything cannot be changed and Hong Kong still drew with Guangdong team. Xu came off the bench in the 61st minute and Hong Kong won by penalty shoot-out.[79]
Having stepped down as a South China player in this season, Xu was dropped completely from the Hong Kong national team and selected by new coach Ernie Merrick. Merrick claimed that he was looking to go in a different direction with the team, although Merrick eventually opted to employ striker Jaimes McKee on the right side.
2012–13
On 16 March 2013, Kim Pan-Gon announced that Xu would be recalled to the Hong Kong squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Vietnam.[80] In the match, Xu was sent to the patch in the 58th minute. He made some cross passes and long-range shots during the game but did not create any change and Hong Kong won the Vietnam team by one goal.[81]
In the Hong Kong team training session before friendly match against Philippines on 7 June 2013, Kim Pan-Gon explained the wedding of Xu was the reason that Xu was not in the squad, and he would be an important member of Hong Kong team in Asian Cup qualification.[82]
Hong Kong U-23
2009 East Asian Games
Xu (No.8 with Red shirt) laced Leung Chun Pong in the Gold medal match of the football tournament at the 2009 East Asian Games
In September 2010, Hong Kong Asian Games football team was formed by Tsang Wai Chung for 2010 Asian Games. Xu was one of the members of the last 20 players for the Asian Games.[88] He played all the 90 minutes in the first game of the tournament drew with United Arab Emirates on 7 November 2010.[89][90] In the second game won Uzbekistan on 9 November, Xu had highest number of shoots of the Hong Kong and made the corner before winning goal.[91][92] He made an assist for Au Yeung Yiu Chung in first half of the last group stage match against Bangladesh on 11 November 2010.[93][94][95] Bangladesh lose the game by 4–1 and Hong Kong advanced to the knockout stage.[93][95][96] This is the first time that Hong Kong qualified to the knockout stage in 52 years.[94][95]
Xu cannot speak either Cantonese or English and he can only speak in Putonghua. For this, he said it is not a problem in Hong Kong because most of Hong Kong people understand Putonghua and his teammates translate Putonghua to English for his coaches, such as Kim Pan-Gon. He said that he loves Hong Kong for its good surroundings and for allowing him to play football.[1][2][119][120]
