However, after such a high-profile performance, it seems that God played a joke on Deng Zhuoxiang. On August 20 1 1, he retired from the national team due to injury. In the golden sports career in the following years, injuries became his lingering shadow. Two serious injuries, 20 1 1 and 20 15, were obstacles to the further development of his career. From the main force to the substitute to no ball to kick, from the Chinese Super League to the Chinese First Division, he experienced the pain of falling from heaven to the bottom, and at the same time he gradually grew up from a big boy to a real man, who will face difficulties and deal with problems more calmly.
Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, Wuhan native Deng Zhuoxiang and his family missed their hometown in other places. He was very moved to see medical workers from all over the country come to Wuhan to help, and he was silently cheering for Wuhan. At present, Deng Zhuoxiang, who has returned to Wuhan, always keeps his daily training. He is looking forward to winning the anti-epidemic war as soon as possible, returning to the team as soon as possible, starting the new season as soon as possible, continuing his career and passing on his experience to more young people.
Recently, Deng Zhuoxiang, who has just returned to Wuhan, accepted an exclusive interview with this newspaper, talking about his career in the first 14 years, the goal of the Korean team, the mental journey in those years of injury, the lingering scandal and his future. ...
▲ Today, Deng Zhuoxiang is also running his own sports rehabilitation studio.
Football: Hello, Deng Zhuoxiang, you are a native of Wuhan. Where were you when the epidemic broke out? How did you spend these two months?
Deng Zhuoxiang: After the winter training with the team (Beijing University of Physical Education), my family and I went to Hainan. I couldn't go back to Wuhan before I closed the city, so I stayed in Hainan for more than two months. Isolation 14 days, staying in the hotel all the time, no problem in basic life.
As a long-term professional player, what was your first thought after hearing that Wuhan was closed to the city?
First of all, I think no matter where the epidemic occurs, it is a very sad thing, let alone in my hometown of Wuhan. Because many family and friends are in Wuhan, I am worried about them and hope that the epidemic will pass soon. In fact, I also have friends who are slightly infected in Wuhan, and it is really distressing to see the situation of my friends at that time.
◆ How did you keep yourself in shape during this time?
The team will issue a training plan every day, and I will train by myself every day, ensuring quality and quantity.
◆ These two months should be the longest time you have stayed at home. Do you have any ideas?
I think life is above everything else, and people have hope when they are alive. In the face of this serious disease, nothing is more important than being with family members, whose safety and health are more important.
◆ Is there anything unforgettable about Wuhan and the epidemic situation in the last two months?
Seeing those figures on the news every day makes me feel bad and my life is fragile. Fortunately, the country has done a good job in fighting the epidemic. All over the country are helping Wuhan, especially those medical workers who are in the front line. They are heroes, which makes us very moved. What I want to say in particular is that this epidemic is not only in Wuhan, but also closely related to the whole country and even the whole world. In this process, there are also some unfavorable voices to Wuhan. As a Wuhan native, I sometimes feel very uncomfortable.
◆ Wuhan was unsealed on April 8. When did you go back to Wuhan? What's the first thing to do when you return to Wuhan?
I went back to Wuhan on 1 1, and I still want to go home after discussing with my family. After all, I haven't felt at home after staying outside for a long time. The first thing? When I got home, I just took a shower and fell asleep. This is the most comfortable sleep in the past two months. I am basically at home these days, because the community has not been completely unsealed, and it is quite troublesome to go out.
▲ Wuhan unsealed
◆ Football: In an instant, you have been in the professional league 14 years. How do you evaluate your previous career?
Deng Zhuoxiang: Overall, I still feel a little ups and downs. At first, in Wuhan Optics Valley, I felt that I would never leave Wuhan for other places, but in 2008, I retired. In 2009, Pei Dao (Pei Encai) brought several of our Wuhan classmates to Jiangsu. At the end of the year, I entered the national team directly and performed well. 20 10 won the league championship with luneng, but suddenly suffered from injuries the next year, and then went to Shenhua from shuntian and suffered from injuries again. It can be said that injury is an unavoidable problem in my career.
◆ In terms of clubs, are there any moments that impressed you?
If the most memorable moment is that we retired in 2008, which is a great blow to Wuhan team and Wuhan players. Others are mainly concentrated in the first few years of playing football. At that time, I was 17 years old, and I started playing in the Super League in 2006. The following year, I scored the first goal of the Super League. After retiring in 2008, he went to Jiangsu and then joined the national team, and then won the championship in Luneng.
◆ What is the happiest moment?
Of course, the happiest and simplest moment was in Optics Valley from 2006 to 2008. At that time, all the people who played football together were buddies who grew up together. Their understanding of football is very simple, including Jiangsu in 2009 and Luneng in 20 10. Generally speaking, I was quite happy during the period before the injury.
◆ I have walked through many clubs. Do you feel that you have left any regrets?
I can't say it's a pity that China football may have neglected injuries and medical treatment, but it's all my own experience. It is impossible to go back and forget, and nothing can be done.
▲ Deng Zhuoxiang during Beijing Sport University.
◆ Because of injury, 20 17 had to play from the Super League to the Chinese League. Was there a psychological gap at that time?
There is no gap. 20 17 has a contract with Shenhua. I had an injury period of nearly two years before, so I rented it to the Yellow Sea to keep fit. I had a good time in the Yellow Sea that year. After 2065438+2008, Gao Dao (Gao Hongbo) called me and said that he would go to Beijing for control. I agreed as soon as I saw it was Gao Dao. In fact, there were still many super league teams looking for me at that time, but I chose to follow Gao Dao.
Last season, I won the eighth place in Beijing Sport University. How do you evaluate the performance of teams and individuals?
In fact, the hope of overtaking the team last year was still great, but some opportunities were wasted at the beginning of the season. Personally, I think it was mainly because I had a calf injury and rested for more than a month at the beginning of the season, so I was affected in the first half, but I basically played in the second half and was in good shape. It seems that all the games I participated in got good results in the end.
You mentioned Gao Hongbo earlier. What kind of coach do you think he is?
I first met Gao Dao when he was selected for the national team in 2009. At that time, Gao Dao was a relatively young coach, so he recruited many young players, and many players were born after 1985. At that time, the team's goals were consistent and the atmosphere was good. We cooperated very, very happily and established a very pure mentoring relationship. He has always been my teacher and values us very much. We used to know him well. Although we don't meet much now, we will still contact each other on holidays. Besides, when things are difficult to solve, I always ask his advice.
▲ Deng Zhuoxiang and Gao Hongbo in Shuntian period.
◆ Football: What impressed you most was the goal of South Korea in the 20 10 East Asian Cup. Do you still remember the game clearly?
Deng Zhuoxiang: Someone asked me about my goal the other day. In fact, after that, whenever I talk about the national football team and South Korea, it seems that I will mention that goal. I remember that the overall atmosphere of the national football team was very relaxed. Perhaps it was because China football had just gone through a wave of anti-gambling and anti-black, which was the most chaotic time, so we didn't have high expectations for the national football team and gave us a more relaxed environment. That's why we scored that goal and won the East Asian Cup. After winning the East Asia Cup, remember that the prize money is $500,000. In the end, the team decided that all the players of the national football team, whether they are the main players or substitutes, coaches or logistics teams, will receive equal bonuses. The atmosphere at that time was really great.
◆ The warm-up match against France in June was also very classic. You scored a wonderful free kick and beat the runner-up in the World Cup. What was the situation then?
That was before the World Cup in South Africa, France warmed us up, because they warmed us up in the last session and finally won the second place in the World Cup, so they probably wanted to continue this good luck. My free kick is really difficult for the goalkeeper to keep. The ball is a little floating. With luck, I scored. But there is a reason for winning the game, because there are many young players in our session, and everyone is working hard. In the face of strong opponents, we didn't flinch. Our thought at that time was "You are the runner-up in the World Cup, and we are nothing". In the end, everyone United and fought the French team with this mentality.
◆ At that time, the outside world called you "10, the strongest national football team". What do you think of this?
I can't talk about it Football is a sport for eleven people, with a team of coaches and logistics staff. This is a big team thing. At that time, we relied on the whole, everyone trusted each other, and Gao Dao insisted on passing and controlling football, so the national football team would be in a better state at that time. Now it seems that our group has benefited more.
▲ Deng Zhuoxiang's goal against South Korea in the East Asia Cup is unforgettable so far.
◆ Do you have any regrets during your national football?
Let's talk about 20 1 1 Asian Cup. At that time, Gao Dao said before the game that the Asian Cup should be regarded as training, and our goal was the preliminaries. Therefore, everyone's mentality is relatively relaxed and the team's style of play is relatively mature. Before the Asian Cup, they also won the last champion Iraq 3-2 in the warm-up match, and their state was very good. I remember that after winning Kuwait in the first game, we didn't think so much. In the second game, we rotated four positions and finally lost to Qatar. Who knew that the pressure of public opinion suddenly became great after the game, and we felt very strange at that time. The last draw did not qualify, which is a pity in the national football team.
◆ 2011After retiring from the national team due to injury in August, have you ever thought about returning to the national team next time?
Of course, I was still very young. I think I should recover soon and then I can return to the national team. But I didn't expect that my subsequent career didn't develop as I expected because of injury.
Last year, I saw you send photos of the 88-year primary school party. Are there many such parties?
We were supposed to get together at the end of last year, but they were going to play the FA Cup and the national team was training, so the party was postponed. In fact, there are still many private small-scale parties, but there are not many parties yet, but everyone has been looking for opportunities, hoping to get together and talk about past stories.
◆ Since the second half of last year, Wuhan Zall has once again started to train talents for the national team. Tomorrow, Liu Yun and other young players from Wuhan will start to make their mark on the national football team. What do you think of this?
This is of course a good thing. This is a positive signal. I hope they can gain a foothold in the national team. At the same time, it also shows that Wuhan football is recovering. At present, football in Wuhan and some cities in Hubei Province is developing very well, both of which are in the forefront of the country, and Wuhan football will get better and better.
▲ Deng Zhuoxiang in Wuhan Optics Valley.
◆ "Football": It is often said that you are a "genius destroyed by injuries". Do you agree?
Deng Zhuoxiang: I'm not a genius, because a genius doesn't have to go through this. But the injury did have a great impact on me, both in the state of playing football and psychologically. Before the injury, I felt that everything I did was going well, but after the injury, many things were beyond outsiders' imagination and understanding, so I had to get through it on my own.
◆ Can you briefly tell me how many major injuries you have experienced?
The first time was in August, 20 1 1. At that time, four free bones of the ankle fell into the joint cavity, but no one could see or care, saying it was just a bone contusion. Later, I slowly played closed training and was injured again in June, 438+0. Combined with water and torn ligament, the ankle is stuck. I didn't go to Germany for surgery until April of the following year. At that time, the German doctor said, "I have never seen such an injury". By the end of the year, I came back from the last round of the league, but the injuries appeared repeatedly, and I didn't come back until the second half of 20 13.
The second time was a knee problem. 20 15 played several games in April and found his knee uncomfortable. It should be that the tendon strain took off the patellar tendon and rubbed the cartilage, resulting in knee injury. But at that time, I didn't make a decision that was conducive to the recovery of the injury. Finally, in June 5438+10, I went to Chongqing to find Lifan's team doctor, found the root of the disease and had an operation. It was not until the second half of 20 16 that I slowly recovered.
◆ How did you get out of the injury?
As a player, what you can do about injuries is very limited. If you are in a bad state, you can adjust it. You know how to train, but there is very little you can do when you are injured. In fact, my career seems to be more than ten years, but the prime time is about four years of combat injuries, which are still very important in my football career. There is no denying that injuries have a great influence on people's body and mind, because you just have an upward trend and suddenly experience injuries. Others can't help me bear this, so I have to take my time.
In the most difficult time, have you ever thought about giving up football?
The idea of giving up occasionally appears, especially in the cycle of recovery after injury, which is still very destructive to people. But the idea of giving up was quickly eliminated by myself. At that time, I kept telling myself, "Why can't I walk there?" Why give up? You're okay! "It is impossible for a person to have no negative emotions, and it is impossible to have only positive emotions. They will influence each other, but I believe that positive emotions will eventually overcome negative emotions!
▲ Deng Zhuoxiang suffering from injuries.
Do these injuries still affect you?
The impact is not to mention. Now I just try my best to keep fit and keep a positive heart. If we play football now, we will play football one game at a time and earn money one game at a time. It's too difficult to grasp the harm and avoid it. I can only go into battle lightly, try to be myself, keep training every day, recover after training, and supplement minerals and vitamins to continue my career.
◆ Along with injuries, there are various questions. How do you deal with them?
I was stupid, too. I will see some reports that are particularly untrue, and it is impossible to say that I can't see them. However, I didn't respond immediately after seeing it, and some rumors were still ridiculous. At that time, it was really necessary to swear at home. Looking back now, if I had stood up and responded positively, maybe there would have been fewer misunderstandings between fans who didn't know the truth.
◆ Everything has another side. Will the injury make you more mature?
In fact, in my bones, I am a simple-minded person, hoping to be quiet and plain. However, after my injuries and ups and downs, I will think more and more comprehensively now. Unlike before, I want to do things more satisfactorily.
What do you think your career would be like if there were no injuries?
This is unpredictable. After all, you can't get rid of all the bad things in the past, you can only experience the good ones. For better or worse, this is my unforgettable wealth for more than 30 years. Yes, I think it is wealth. What I see is different from people who have never experienced these things. When I encounter similar difficulties again, I will know how to deal with them.
▲ If he is not injured, can he "fly" higher?
◆ Football: Besides playing football, what other hobbies do you have?
Deng Zhuoxiang: Actually, my life is relatively simple, and I have little spare time. I usually like reading comics and listening to music. I spend more time at home with my wife, children and family, and occasionally get together and chat with friends.
◆ How old is the child now? Do children intentionally touch football?
My child is a little over two years old. Sometimes I let him play football when he is free at home, and then I play with him at home. But as for whether he will take the road of professional football in the future, I think it's better to let nature take its course. If he likes it, I certainly support it. If he doesn't like it, I won't force him. After all, our post-80 s generation may be different from the elderly in parenting, and more is to let him choose his own path.
◆ Do you have any special dreams or industries you want to engage in since you were a child? Is it realized now?
In fact, my childhood dream was to be a doctor. However, now I'm in the sports rehabilitation industry, and I'm half a doctor.
I also saw that you didn't open Weibo until 20 17. The introduction is "a sports rehabilitation teacher who was delayed by football". Why did you write this?
I didn't want to see anything negative before driving Weibo, but my friend said I could drive, so I did. In the introduction, it is a joke written casually. Because 20 15 was injured, I held a sports rehabilitation workshop with my friends. It has been more than five years now.
◆ Sports Rehabilitation Studio? Can you give a brief introduction?
Maybe it's because I became a doctor after a long illness. After so many injuries, I learned some sports rehabilitation knowledge at home and abroad, so I later opened the first sports rehabilitation studio in Hankou with my friends on 20 15. This is not only for the rehabilitation of professional athletes after injury (non-disease), but also for ordinary people who have requirements for sports.
In the existing medical concepts in our country, there is no such thing as sports rehabilitation, including the rehabilitation department in the hospital, which is only simple rehabilitation, and there is no mention of restoring sports ability as soon as possible after injury. Our team can reduce the chances of athletes' injuries through reasonable treatment, and can deal with acute sports injuries at the first time. Especially after athletes are injured, they should get more systematic rehabilitation, shorten the treatment cycle, let athletes return to the stadium earlier and prolong the life of the competition. Therefore, I also think it is very meaningful to do this field.
◆ How is the studio operating now?
Because this is a relatively new industry, it needs more time and manpower to do it. Now we have opened another branch in Wuchang, which is doing very well. It can be said that it is getting better and better, because we mainly do word of mouth, and brands are word of mouth. We never spent a penny on advertising, and many people came.
▲ The international players go to the sports rehabilitation studio in Deng Zhuoxiang.
◆ Football: Has your contract with Beijing University of Physical Education expired now? What's your next plan?
Deng Zhuoxiang: Well, it was true that the contract with the team expired at the end of last year, but we have been talking about renewing the contract because of the epidemic. Now that the team has not assembled, Beijing can't go for the time being, so we can only continue training in Wuhan and keep in shape, and then talk about renewing the contract with the team when the epidemic is over.
You are now 3 1 year old, which is actually the golden age of a professional player. What do you think of your next career?
3 1 year is not old. It really belongs to a mature age of football players. In my future career, I will tell my experiences and ideas to young players, hoping to help the team and young players in the future and let them take detours as little as possible. This is more important. As for the competition results and honors you mentioned, I have basically won them, so I won't pursue them too much.
Now the youth training of Wuhan football is very popular. Almost every professional team will have Wuhan players in the first team or echelon. As a player who goes out from Wuhan, what do you want to say to young people?
The most important thing in football is to think more, and the brain is more important than others. In all aspects of football, we need to keep thinking and make correct decisions in order to make progress.
Besides playing football and doing sports rehabilitation, what are your future plans?
Youth training still has ideas to do, but now I play football most of the time, and my children are still young, so I don't have so much energy to do it for the time being. When the children grow up, I may do research and do youth training. After all, after playing football for so many years, I still have my own ideas and understanding of football, hoping to teach more advanced ideas to more young people. At the same time, the country has trained our professional players, and it is time for us to repay the country and China football. We hope that through our own efforts, China football will get better and better.