He Xiaoke: The purpose of staying in the ocean is to better fight for the country
Recently, He Xiaoke departed from Beijing again and embarked on a flight to Barcelona, about to officially sign a contract with a Spanish professional club. Although he still travels to Spain, it is different from the previous two years: the first two years as an age-age player, he only participated in the Spanish Under-19 Honor League, which is still a junior level, and this time he will officially join the Spanish professional club. Although not at the highest level, the competition and challenges ahead will far exceed those of the U19 Youth League. However, He Xiaoke is still full of confidence in this and has made various preparations for this.
(1) Two years of bitterness in Spain
Sports: You've been in Spain for almost two years and you're starting a whole new journey. How do you feel overall after two years?
He Xiaoke: The biggest feeling is that there are improvements in all aspects, in addition to competition and sports themselves, including the ideological level. The so-called ideological level is how the individual responds to the difficulties that may be encountered at any time, whether it is difficulties in the stadium or in life, how to become a more independent person, etc., this aspect feels greatly improved and changed. As a Chinese player in Spain, especially in a completely different cultural environment, you have to think about how to integrate; When faced with competitive pressure, you can't be like you are at home. To be honest, in the country, it's like playing in a greenhouse, but in Spain it's completely different, there are no guarantees and promises, you don't know what the next step will be. Therefore, this environment can still shape a stronger character.
As for the specific skills, it feels different to play in Spain. The first is that there are more things with balls. Whether in training or matching, the pace of Spanish football is reflected in the confrontation with the ball, not in the physical confrontation. The pace of the ball is fast, there is a lot of touch time every day, and the overall feeling of the ball is better. After almost two years, my own understanding and feeling is: Spain's style is 11 people on the field, each position of players must have a certain technical base, each position of people can launch an attack at any time, and each person will not be said to be a "station" in the attack, everyone can be connected to complete the attack. This is one of the deepest feelings that Spanish football has given me.
Sports: What was the biggest difficulty you encountered during your stay in the ocean?
He Xiaoke: If you want to talk about the biggest difficulty, I think it should be the first half of the year when I first arrived in Spain and couldn't participate in the competition. Because I just arrived there, many procedures were not completed, coupled with my young age and not yet reached the registration requirements, I couldn't participate in the official competition for about half a year, and I could only train with the team. However, I always have to be ready to play in half a year, and I have to be "plug and play" kind of preparation. During that time, I was trying and preparing, but frankly it was an ordeal. Because I am a person with a strong desire to survive, and I am also a relatively strong personality, I don't play and watch others kick, and my psychology is very uncomfortable. Moreover, because there is no way to play, you will not be assigned to the main squad when you practice with team confrontation during training. Sometimes because you can't play, there is a shortage of people on the bench side, and you can only follow the coach's arrangement to play temporarily. This makes me feel very bad, and even for me it is quite a big blow psychologically, there will be a strong sense of gap.
Although I have always told myself in my heart that I have to overcome this gap, it is actually very difficult to do. If this hurdle is not passed, then there may be no later. Because at that time I also had to face the reality that I was a player who spoke a completely different language, a player from a different environment and a different culture, and I needed to overcome the communication barrier with my teammates, how not to let this bad feeling show in front of my teammates. Because I gradually discovered later that the mood in our dressing room actually determines how you perform when you play. Therefore, all aspects can only be self-adjusting, which is more difficult. Fortunately, I finally survived in this half a year, glad that I did not give up, but also gritted my teeth and persevered, to prepare for the later can play the game, and then when I am an adult, I can play after completing the registration, even if I overcome the biggest difficulty. After that, in fact, the whole way down was relatively flat.
Sports: So how did you adjust yourself during the process? What exactly has been done?
He Xiaoke: Before I went out from China, I was prepared for all kinds of difficulties. But when I really arrived in Spain, I think the most difficult thing is the psychological level, or in my own experience, it is probably the character aspect that ultimately determines your destiny. I think that techniques and tactics can be improved, and language can be learned, but personality is actually more decisive whether you can stay there. Because after the players go out, even if you are good at technique, you need to integrate into the style of the local team; If the technique is not particularly good, you need to practice more to meet the requirements of the manager. However, when you play, whether you can play 100% of your strength depends on your mentality, whether you have a relaxed mentality.
"Relaxed mentality" does not mean that you can fully show your technical and tactical level by relaxing your mind for 90 minutes on the field, in fact, it is more off the field. During the 20 minutes in the dressing room, or the two hours of training, you need to be able to communicate with your teammates heart-to-heart, to be as open as a domestic player, to be like a friend. In this way, people can let down their guard and blend in with everyone. When you're on the pitch, people will pass the ball to you, and then you can show yourself more comfortably. That's why I think personality is the most important point, and how can I integrate into their group? This is also the hardest aspect.
Sports: What do you think of your personality?
He Xiaoke: My personality is actually quite open, plus I have some language skills, so I can integrate with everyone after I go to Spain. Although I don't usually talk much, I know that self-satisfaction is actually very important in that environment, not that others praise you twice, you are satisfied, the main thing is that you have to identify with yourself. For example, I feel open and in a good mood today, and you can feel much more comfortable when you play on the field, including in front of goal. But if one day you have a conflict with a certain team member, or you are not in a good mood, you don't have as much desire and don't perform so well. So, I feel that the self-adjustment aspect is still the most important, or the most difficult point.
Sports: In order to give you peace of mind, your parents also went to Spain to take care of your daily life. Did your parents play a role in the whole process?
He Xiaoke: That's right! In fact, at the age of eighteen or nineteen, there is no problem in cooking by yourself and going to the supermarket to buy something, the most difficult thing is the loneliness of a person. But if parents are around, there is a sense of home. In this way, if you usually have anything you can't think about, you can communicate with them. And because you have a home, you may not feel so tired at ordinary times, and then you can devote yourself more wholeheartedly to training, usually after returning home from school outside, you can eat, and you can go to rest after eating. I think it's still a great help for my parents to be around.
(2) Suffering from the "goal drought" is the most tormenting
Sports: Apart from the psychological level, what are the biggest difficulties encountered in competition?
DH: The hardest time is probably when there are no goals. For a while, I had a goal drought and didn't score in five or six games in a row. At that time, I made some summaries, and the difference was that when I was in China, I could have five or six chances in a game, maybe I would miss three or four chances, but I could still take one or two chances to score. But when I arrived in Spain, because the opponents were very capable and more competitive and confrontational, I could only get one or two chances in a game, so as long as I didn't grasp it, I didn't score a single goal. During my time in Spain, I had a lot of scenes, I basically got at least one chance to score every game, but sometimes I missed a kick, was saved by the goalkeeper or played crookedly, etc., resulting in regrets in every game. I felt that I had enough quality and created chances, but I didn't score goals, so I felt more depressed and tormented during that time.
Looking back on the last two seasons, I feel a bit of a high and low go, like scoring goals in my first season when I made my debut; The second season, also in the first three rounds, met Barca and scored. However, there will be a flat period after that, and I think this also has to do with the nature of the league, because when I am in China, I play more in the conference system, and 6 games may be played in two or three weeks, and there is not much time to rest and adjust during this period, I may have been in this state, so I scored a lot of goals. But when you come to Spain, it's one game a week, you play this one, you have six or seven days to prepare for the next one, and a lot of things will happen in those six or seven days, and you may lose some form. Or after the competition, the next day of the state of mind is very concentrated, especially clear where you should be, especially want to play again immediately. However, after six or seven days, you may forget about it, or you may not feel there. Then, when you go to the game again, you make the same mistake, so I can't score for five or six games in a row for a while. This is where I encountered some of the more difficult and tormenting places. Of course, now that I am slowly adapting, my mentality is relatively stable, it can be said that because sometimes I press myself too tightly, the effect is not good, and sometimes I may have a flat mentality and seize the opportunity.
Sports: In addition to you, there are many Chinese children in the Catalan region of Barcelona.
He Xiaoke: Yes, there are many Chinese children in Catalonia, generally in the third, fourth or lower divisions, and very few can reach the first level, just me and a couple named Yang Xi are participating in the local honor league, which is the highest level of the U19 league. Usually, I have had some contact with them, and they all have their own dreams. But to be honest, I feel that the efforts they put in don't match their own expectations and dreams.
Sports: I don't seem to have seen this Yang Xi you mentioned in China.
He Xiaoke: He (Yang Xi) did not go out from China, he was born there, and he is considered Chinese. In my area, I was the only one who went out of China and participated in the League of Honor, and in another district, there seemed to be one, and most of the others were Spanish-born Chinese.
Sports: What do you think are the main cultural differences between China and Spain?
He Xiaoke: I think if the cultural difference is reflected in the players, it should be in the aspect of personality. Chinese players may have a more restrained personality, or have a moderate mentality, and after reaching a certain height, they may be satisfied and not too radical. But Spanish children play football for their own lives, they feel that they can play to any height, they will give it their all, they will think about changing their fate by playing football or something.
There are a lot of young people playing in Spain because it's a more diverse country, so there are a lot of Hispanics, Moroccans, Asians and other players of different nationalities or races, and many of them go to this country to survive. Some of them choose football, some choose others, so these outsiders are still working hard to change their fate, of course, the native Spaniards may be more bland and may also take football lightly, feel that going to college is also very good, will not put too much pressure on themselves. I think that outsiders like me, driven by the power of dreams, may work harder and fight harder.
Sports: Apart from playing football, do you usually go to school in Spain?
He Xiaoke: The main thing is to learn languages, and I have to take two hours of language classes every day.
Sports: Still studying? Or try to go to college or something.
He Xiaoke: I don't read the book, firstly, I have not contacted the school since I arrived in Spain, and secondly, I have already separated from the domestic one. After going out, Spanish schools are not available, whether it is the curriculum or other completely different. For now, I have to learn the language first. At my age, I supposedly went to college, and I didn't have time to study there. I think I can only prepare to see later, if I have the opportunity, I find a stable professional team, play in the league, and then see if I can go to a university. In fact, you can go to university, but you also have to apply for a preparatory department, first master the language barrier, and then enter the university.
Sports: Do you still have problems with Spanish?
He Xiaoke: Now there is no problem in communicating with teammates and coaches in Spanish normally, and there is no problem in life, because this side is mainly speaking, you don't need to write. Some time ago, my dad had a minimally invasive surgery in Spain, and I went to the hospital to help communicate with the doctor. So, the language aspect is actually okay.
(3) The dilemma between the national youth and the ocean
Sports: The U20 youth team traveled to Saudi Arabia last September for the U20 Asian Cup qualifiers and you were not selected. You followed the team to Bahrain, but then left. What's the whole process?
He Xiaoke: When I made the choice at that time, it was actually very contradictory. First, I feel that my playing style does not match the playing style of the U20 national youth team, and I really did not get much playing time after participating in the training camp of the team. On the other hand, his last season in the Sabadell U19 team in Spain is also the last season of the youth league, and if he can seize the opportunity, there will be a team to want; If you do not seize the opportunity, the road to Spain may not be easy, and your own overseas journey may be forced to end. So, at the time, I thought it was quite difficult to choose. From my own point of view, of course, I want to play for my country, and because I was not able to catch the U16 Asian Junior Championship due to the epidemic, I am particularly eager to participate in the U20 Asian Cup qualifiers, because I have played football for so long, I have not even participated in the Asian Championship, which is a pity. However, after arriving in the national youth team, it is true that he has too few opportunities, and if he continues to stay in the national youth team, he cannot guarantee his competitive status.
Just when I was hesitating, because the head coach Antonio also said that if anyone had any ideas, they could go to him. Then I went to talk to the manager and he gave me the green light to say things like "you can go" and made it clear that I would go back to Spain. Then, I was gone. In contrast, the new season on the Spanish side has started, and if I go back, I will definitely be able to play, because when I left Spain to report for the national youth team, the Sabadell youth team manager talked to me and asked if I could leave later and said that I would be one of his key players in the new season.
Now, everything is in the past. Looking back, I did play the ball since I came back to Spain, and the team had a relatively good result. But it was hard to say whether the choice was right or wrong at the time, and I made that decision based on feelings. Moreover, before making the final choice, I also asked the opinion of Shandong Taishan Club and told them my reality, the club let me choose by myself, and they would support my choice. After weighing it up, I chose to go back to Spain. After all, the situation I faced at that time was: if I continued to stay in the national youth team, the game may be over, but it was not as good as expected, and then I returned to Spain, and there was no chance, after all, my ability was not yet at the point where I could reserve the position for me at any time, and I needed to fight again.
Sports: Did you reach out to the manager to express your thoughts during the final of the U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in March?
He Xiaoke: At that time, Shao Ling (Shao Jiayi) contacted me and told me that he still wanted me to return to the team. I am also very grateful to Shao Ling, who has always helped and guided me. But it was also awkward because I left before the qualifiers last September, and the manager Antonio was not very happy with the situation and may have some opinions. So, at that time, Shao Ling told me to go to Antonio to communicate. I then sent a message to the Spanish coaching staff, first apologizing to them and explaining at the same time. They also replied to me, saying that they respected my choice and blessed me, but did not mention anything about returning to the team. After receiving the response, I felt that the coach should be unlikely to take me to the game again, and there was no follow-up after that. So, that's the end of the matter.
Sports: Do you feel sorry that you didn't go to the U20 Asian Cup?
He Xiaoke: There must still be regrets, after all, as a player, you may only play the Asian Youth Championship once in your life, and for so many years, isn't playing football just thinking of having the opportunity to win glory for the country? But, thinking about it the other way around, if I went, I didn't know what would happen. If you have been playing in China, you will not encounter such a choice question. However, because it is developing abroad, especially as a Chinese player, it is still difficult to gain a foothold in Europe at this stage. You need to get more playing time to make sure that a team sees you and creates the conditions for the next development, not that if you go to the national youth team, you will definitely be able to win the favor of others. So, I wanted to play in Spain on my own and get some team attention and more space for the next development. From my point of view, I feel that if I can gain a firm foothold there, I will be able to better serve the motherland in the future. So, I chose it then, no matter what happens next, anyway, for now, this is still possible.
Sports: If you want to play for the country next, it is the national Olympic team and the national team.
DH: Yes, so, a week before the end of the Spanish season, I rushed to Croatia to join the Olympic team. If the Olympic team hadn't been called, I would have gone on vacation. However, I think it is also a good opportunity for me to be able to try out for the Olympic team. And after arriving in Croatia, the team has training, there are games, the situation is good, I think I am very happy. As for whether the Olympic team will be called up in the end, it depends on the opinion of the coaching staff. As for me, I definitely want to stay, and I am willing to fight for my country, and I will definitely give it my all.
Sports: How do you feel about being with the Olympic team in Croatia for about a month?
He Xiaoke: When I first arrived at the National Olympic Team, I still carried the rhythm of the Spanish side, and I felt that I could still play, and I felt that my pace was a little faster than the team. But after playing a few games, it is also possible that I entered a fatigue period, felt that my pace has slowed down, and my mental state has been a little sluggish. I don't know what the situation is, it may be caused by the training environment. This is not only the case at this time of year, but also last season after the first season of the Spanish league, and the closer to the end of the season, the more tired people feel.
Sports: So, what's next?
Ho Xiaoke: From my own point of view, whenever I have a chance, I still hope to stay in Spain and continue to develop, and whether I can play in La Liga or loan to La Liga, I think I can still improve at my age, and there is still a lot of room to improve. Participating in training and playing in the Spanish football atmosphere, I think it will definitely improve a lot. As for what will happen after returning to Spain this time, it is time to be patient.