“Today I want to say goodbye to my club and the fans who have always supported me,” the Brazil-born striker wrote on Weibo. 
 
“I hope the time we spent together will stay in your hearts. Those moments of celebrating with the fans, the cheers after each goal will be in my mind forever.”

Ai Kesen – or Elkeson as he was known at the time – joined Guangzhou in 2012 from Brazilian side Botofogo and was part of Marcello Lippi’s team as Evergrande became the first Chinese club since Liaoning FC in 1990 to be crowned Asian club champions in 2013.
 
He won the title again under Luiz Felipe Scolari two years later before moving to Shanghai SIPG in 2016, where he helped the club claim their first-ever Chinese Super League title in 2018.

The striker returned to Guangzhou in 2019 and was granted Chinese citizenship later that year, allowing him to become the first player without Chinese heritage to play for the national team when he made his debut against the Maldives.
 
Ai Kesen scored twice in that game in the second round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and he said in his statement he would remain available for selection despite returning to Brazil.

“Now, like everyone else, I am a Chinese, and this is the country in my heart,” he said. “Although I left the club, I will always be ready to fight for our country and for the Chinese team.
 
“As long as the national team needs me, I will go there without hesitation. I promise to dedicate all my strength to the national team, and fight with my teammates to the last minute.”
 
China PR are currently in fifth place in Group B of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to Qatar and face Japan on January 27 before taking on Vietnam five days later. The team will be led by new coach Li Xiaopeng after Li Tie resigned from the post at the start of December.

Photos: AFP