Wei Shihao ready to lead from the front

The 22-year-old scored twice – against DPR Korea and Korea Republic – in his first three games for his country as head coach Marcello Lippi chose a team that featured a mix of youth and experience to represent China at the four-nation event.

Wei was one of six players in Lippi’s squad who are expected to be included in the line-up for the AFC U23 Championship Finals when they kick off on January 9, and the Shanghai SIPG forward believes the faith placed in him by the Italian World Cup winner will pay off next month.

“My experience here has given me a lot of benefits,” said Wei after China’s final game of the tournament at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium, a 1-1 draw with DPR Korea.

“I settled into the team very well with the help of my older teammates. Even though we haven’t played together that much, I think we will have a greater level of understanding in the future.

“I didn’t expect that I would play in all three games and score twice. I am new here, as you know, and I told myself to grasp the opportunity, but I never thought I could have it done to this level.

“Of course, I hope to become a regular in the national team. Every football player would love to do that.