Yu Hanchao started his football career with Liaoning Whowin in 2005 after making his debut on 22 May 2005 in a 0-0 draw against Inter Shanghai.[1] By the end of the 2005 season, he played in 13 league games and scored his first goal on 5 November 2005 in a 4-1 loss against Shandong Luneng.[2] The next season would see Yu establish himself further by playing in thirteen more games; however, it wasn't until the 2008 league season when he would cement his position as a regular within the squad. While he my have established himself within the team, he was unable to replicate his performances that saw him break into the squad and Liaoning were relegated at the end of the 2008 league season.[3] Despite this setback, Yu would remain with the club and helped them back into the top tier when he won the second division title with the team. Liaoning ranked 3rd in the 2011 Chinese Super League under a limited budget and Yu won the division's domestic top goalscorer with 12 goals. Before the 2013 season started, Yu transferred to Dalian Aerbin for a then record-breaking domestic transfer fee.
Guangzhou Evergrande
On 10 June 2014, Yu transferred to fellow Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande along with his teammate Li Xuepeng.[4] He made his debut for the club on 10 July 2014 in a 2-1 win against Shanghai Shenhua. On 9 August 2016, Yu was kneed in the back by Egor Krimets and had to be removed from the pitch on a stretcher in a 0-0 draw against Beijing Guoan. Hospital scans revealed that he had suffered a fractured vertebrae in his spine, ruling him out for three months.[5] He made his return on 20 November 2016 in a 1-1 draw against Jiangsu Suning in the first leg of 2016 Chinese FA Cup final, coming on for Huang Bowen in the 69th minute.[6]
On 14 April 2020, Yu was released by Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao after he violated the club rules for altering the number plate of his vehicle and was detained for 15 days.[7][8]
Shanghai Shenhua
On 18 July 2020, Yu joined fellow Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua on a free transfer. [9] He made his debut for Shenhua on 25 July 2020 in a 2-0 defeat against his former club Guangzhou Evergrande in the opening league game of the 2020 season, which Shenhua lost 2-0. He scored his first goal for Shenhua on 27 October 2020 in a 3-1 win against Chongqing Dangdai Lifan.
On 28 July 2021, Yu missed a 94th-minute penalty against Wuhan F.C., which could have won them the game that finished 0-0. [10]
On 25 November 2023, Yu scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win against 3-time defending champions Shandong Taishan in the 2023 Chinese FA Cup final, it was his first major trophy with Shenhua and the club's 4th FA Cup win in history.
International career
Yu was first called up to the Chinese national team in 2009 by then manager Gao Hongbo. He made his international debut on 29 May 2009 in a 1-1 draw against Germany, coming on as a substitute for Jiang Ning.[11] On 26 June 2010, Yu scored his first two international goals in a 4-0 home win against Tajikistan in an international friendly. [12]
