Gao Lin: Hoping the joy of Guangzhou football from a decade ago returns soon.

Reporter Wang Wei reports After six years away from Guangzhou professional football, Gao Lin has returned. On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the Chinese League Two club Guangdong Mingtu officially announced that former national team player and former Guangzhou FC player Gao Lin has been appointed as the club's general manager. After taking office, Gao Lin accepted an exclusive interview with our newspaper at the Mingtu Football Club located in the auxiliary field of Guangzhou University Town Sports Center. He stated that he hopes to rebuild a respected team for Guangdong and to bring back the joy that belonged to Guangzhou fans a decade ago.

◆"Football": You've been away from Guangzhou professional football for six years. Why did you choose Guangdong Mingtu for your return?

Gao Lin: I feel Mingtu has "roots." For many years, they have been deeply committed to youth training with great dedication. So far, our club has a complete structure of youth training teams across nine age groups, which is very rare nationwide. This shows our investors and the club have long-term ambitions and genuinely care about the development of the children and Chinese football. Therefore, I believe joining such a club can ignite my work passion.

I will share my experience and insights in football with the first team, as well as with the budding young talents, to give them hope for Chinese football and make them proud to become professional players. Helping more young footballers emerge from Guangzhou and Guangdong is the greatest motivation for those of us involved in football training and management in Guangdong.

I am very honored to join this group and grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity. Our team has goals; we aim to reach the pinnacle of professional leagues in the future. So, what I do is try to help the club avoid detours, reduce unnecessary spending, minimize mistakes, and grow as quickly as possible.

◆Six years ago, when you left Guangzhou to play in Shenzhen, Guangzhou fans were already looking forward to your return. Now that you're finally back, what special feelings do you have in your heart?

The most successful phase of my football career was in Guangzhou. This place has given me a lot. After retiring, I have also lived here permanently. I am accustomed to the life here and consider myself a new Guangzhou resident. I cannot stay away from football. Returning in this new capacity, I particularly hope that Guangzhou and Guangdong can have a highly competitive, vibrant team that commands respect and admiration. I believe such a team will soon appear before everyone because many football people are working hard to make it happen.

From the birth and growth of a team to its eventual success, I hope to be part of it. This is also my way of contributing to Guangzhou football. I am willing to grow together with a local young team like Guangdong Mingtu.

◆Transitioning from a player to a club manager, what do you think is the biggest challenge?

For me, the biggest challenge is the shift in mindset. I used to be a player; now I have to manage players. Understanding the players and deeply grasping what they are thinking is something I need to improve on.

◆What are your work goals at Guangdong Mingtu? How will you help this young Chinese League Two newcomer improve?

I had very pleasant conversations with investor Mr. Wang Gang. We share similar ambitions and visions regarding football philosophy and team building, which was a crucial factor in my decision to join the Mingtu family. What I most want to do here is help young players and the young team grow. Seeing them reminds me of myself playing football twenty years ago. I want these kids to avoid detours, grow quickly, and become excellent professional players—not only on the field but also off the field, as individuals with self-discipline and a sense of contribution to society.

I hope the team gets better and better, and I can also grow into a good manager, potentially a good coach in the future. I believe this is a mutually beneficial process. I hope we can take root in Guangzhou and Guangdong, rebuilding a competitive, successful, hopeful, and respected team for Guangdong. I will fight for Guangdong football!

◆"Football": Earlier you mentioned Mingtu has "roots." Investor Wang Gang said it was this fundamental logic that made you two click immediately?

Gao Lin: This "root" refers to Mingtu's deep commitment to local football youth training. There are many talented children, including those from Guangdong. When they reach a crossroads, if they don't encounter a good youth training club, they might give up on football or continue their football careers at clubs outside the province. In recent years, Mingtu's youth training has gained a strong reputation in Guangdong and even nationwide. This is a club that takes youth training seriously. This "root" will help retain the promising local talents from Guangzhou and Guangdong.

◆This year, Mingtu has set its home ground at Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium, a venue carrying the profound historical and cultural weight of Guangdong football. What considerations led to choosing this location for your home matches?

After extensive coordination and effort, the club has decided to set this year's Chinese League Two home matches at Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium. Everyone knows the significance of the Provincial Stadium, and we feel very honored. We have the confidence and determination to manage and build this team well in Guangzhou, helping it grow into an important force in Guangdong football. Of course, the team is still very young and has some way to go to meet everyone's expectations, but we will strive in that direction. We hope to bring both new and longtime Guangzhou football fans back to the stadium to cheer for this team, which will give us more motivation and courage to charge forward!

◆You were selected for national youth teams at a young age. After coming to Mingtu and seeing so many young players, do you see shadows of your younger self in them?

I watch the team's training every day. I can see these young players' love for football and feel their anticipation for each training session. Their desire for football is written on their faces, which is an essential condition for becoming a good player. Their performance makes me very happy. How can one not look forward to such a collective!

◆The team currently has national youth team players like Zhong Wenze and Zhu Xinyu. Last year, Mingtu's U15 team also won the runner-up position in the National Youth Championship. The long-term dedication to youth training shows promise. What are your expectations regarding this?

After joining Mingtu, I found that the players across the club's various age-group teams have very outstanding abilities. What we need to do is provide them with more opportunities as they grow and offer them higher-quality matches to play. At the same time, we must focus on their education and motivation during their maturation process, ensuring they develop healthily, stay on the right path, and smoothly enter the professional football sequence.

◆"Football": What kind of local Guangzhou team do you hope to build after taking office?

Gao Lin: Guangdong Mingtu adopts a European football youth training system, not rushing for immediate results but focusing more on the children's growth. During each transfer window or annually, we select age-appropriate children to join the first team, letting them feel the gap between themselves and professional players, giving them motivation and goals. We hope to play attractive football. This might involve short-term growing pains but will lead to long-term gains. We want the children to learn to grow in calmness and play through difficulties.

The club's goal is certainly to reach the top tier of professional leagues, but we must proceed step by step. Our club carries not only the hopes of the first-team fans and families but, more importantly, the hopes of the children in the youth teams. We want the senior players in the first team to be role models—upright individuals and skilled footballers. The first team and youth training must grow together, ultimately forming a virtuous cycle.

◆As an iconic player in the hearts of Guangzhou fans, what kind of example do you hope to set for the players?

As a professional former player, I can see whether they are giving their all in training and matches. I will give them a sense of urgency, which will have a motivating effect on them.

◆From 2010 to 2020, you dedicated your peak decade to Guangzhou football. Now that you are starting anew, what would you like to say to everyone?

My ten years in Guangzhou football were very successful, and my family life was also very happy. It can be said that was my happiest decade. Having experienced that joy and happiness, why not strive to create such an environment again, allowing everyone to relive that pure, football-centered happiness? We must work hard to bring fans back to the stadium, let them cheer for the team, and let them enjoy the process of every match. I hope this atmosphere returns soon.