Ruofan Liu

When Ruofan Liu came through at Shanghai Shenhua's Genbao Football Base and made his first-team debut in 2017, he was already carrying an unusual reputation: that year he was named China's Golden Boy. He justified it quickly, starting the Chinese FA Cup final and setting up Obafemi Martins for the winner — a moment that stuck to his name long after the trophy was lifted. A second FA Cup followed in 2019, this time as a squad member rather than a starter.

The following years were less settled. Loan spells took him to Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and then Chengdu Rongcheng, spells that kept him playing regular football without ever quite anchoring him at Shenhua, where he remained registered until 2024. He then left as a free agent for Wuhan Three Towns, a stop that lasted less than a year before he moved on again in January 2025, joining Shanghai Port on a free transfer.

That switch paid off almost immediately. Liu was a key part of Shanghai Port's run to the 2025 Chinese Super League title, contributing five league goals along the way.

Internationally, Liu has been a fixture of China's youth setup, moving through the under-16s, under-19s and under-23s and scoring freely at each level, most strikingly 17 goals in 24 appearances for the under-16 side. The senior team has so far eluded him: he has been called into training camps but has either withdrawn through injury or missed the final cut, leaving the step up to full international football still ahead of him.