Liu Haiguang

Liu Haiguang
柳海光
Personal information
Full name	Liu Haiguang
Date of birth	11 July 1963 (age 60)
Place of birth	China
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1974–1981	Shanghai Team
Senior career*
Years	Team
1982–1987	Shanghai Team
1987–1989	Partizan
1989–1991	Shanghai Team
International career
1983–1990	China
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Liu Haiguang (Chinese: 柳海光; pinyin: Liǔ Hǎiguāng; born July 11, 1963) is a former Chinese international footballer who spent the majority of his career playing for the Shanghai Team, however he gained distinction when he joined Yugoslav club FK Partizan along with Jia Xiuquan making them one of the earliest Chinese footballers to play in Europe.

Biography

Liu Haiguang started his youth career with the Shanghai Team and would soon break into the Chinese U-20 team where he took part in the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship where he scored one goal as China were knocked-out in the group stages.^[1] He would soon become a regular for Shanghai and also be promoted to the Chinese senior team where he was included in the squad for the 1984 AFC Asian Cup, which saw China finish runners-up.^[2] After establishing himself as a regular for the national team he along with fellow international team mate Jia Xiuquan would join Yugoslav club FK Partizan and together be one of the earliest Chinese footballers to play in a European club.^[3] Liu stayed for two seasons playing in the Yugoslav First League where he won the 1988–89 Yugoslav Cup before soon returning to Shanghai.

On the international stage he represented China at the 1988 AFC Asian Cup and in the 1988 Summer Olympics. When he decided to retire from international football he had scored 36 goals for China national football team making him their top goalscorer. This record would however be broken by Hao Haidong several years later and currently Liu is the second highest goalscorer.^[4] He would retire completely from playing in 1991 and since then has become a businessman and founded 4 children football clubs.