Liao Junjian: Returning this time is to help Guangzhou football achieve promotion to the Chinese Super League, making up for the regret from back then.

Reporters Wang Wei and Li Xin report "Back when I was at Guangdong Sunray Cave, we almost succeeded in promotion. Later, I achieved promotion with Hebei China Fortune, and also with Wuhan. Returning to Guangzhou now, I want to help Guangzhou football accomplish this goal and make up for the regret from that year." After 11 years, Liao Junjian returns to Guangzhou football, joining Guangzhou豹 with clear and firm goals.

Liao Junjian is a key recruitment target for Guangzhou豹 this season. Born in Beihai, Guangxi, Liao Junjian started his professional football career in Dongguan. In 2012, he transferred from the China League Two team Dongguan Nancheng to the China League One team Guangdong Sunray Cave, thus beginning his connection with Guangzhou. From that time, his family came to Guangzhou and settled here, making Guangzhou his second hometown: "My hometown is Beihai, Guangxi, but after coming to Guangdong Sunray Cave in 2012, my family all moved to Guangzhou. Since then, we have basically lived in Guangzhou."

From 2015 onward, 21-year-old Liao Junjian left Guangdong Sunray Cave and subsequently moved to Hebei, Wuhan, Meizhou, and other places. Now, at 32 years old, he joins Guangzhou豹, returning to Guangzhou football. He hopes to use his experience to help the team achieve the promotion goal and make up for his own regret of not achieving promotion in Guangzhou back then.

Returning to Guangzhou is both fate and personal desire. "This return to Guangzhou is somewhat coincidental, as my contract with Meizhou Hakka正好 expired. There were opportunities to return to Guangzhou to play football a few years ago, but factors like contracts and transfer fees prevented it." After his contract with Meizhou Hakka expired last season, several Chinese Super League clubs invited Liao Junjian, but he first chose the China League One team Guangzhou豹: "Guangzhou has a relatively good team, and the head coach and some teammates are familiar to me. For me, this is a very good choice."

Liao Junjian has a strong sense of belonging to Guangzhou. During his three years playing for Guangdong Sunray Cave, Liao Junjian represented Guangdong in events like the National Games and the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup: "I played many matches for Guangdong teams here, and I have developed deep feelings for Guangzhou. Now returning to play here, it feels like coming home to play football, giving me a strong sense of belonging. This feeling is very different."

The reasons for Liao Junjian joining Guangzhou豹 include not only his sense of belonging to Guangzhou but also Guangzhou豹's determination for promotion, development blueprint, and the invitation from head coach Feng Feng. Feng Feng was a member of the coaching staff at Guangdong Sunray Cave in 2013 and coached Liao Junjian: "Coach Feng achieved very good results after taking over the team last year. I believe under his leadership this year, the team can achieve its goals."

After joining Guangzhou豹, Liao Junjian was appointed as the team's vice-captain. He is very clear about his mission and responsibilities. "The club hopes I can bring the experience and lessons from these years in the Chinese Super League, expecting me to play a leading role and help young players grow." Liao Junjian said he is capable of serving as vice-captain: "After leaving in 2015, I played one year in the China League One with Hebei China Fortune. After promotion in 2016, I have been playing in the Chinese Super League for many years, accumulating considerable experience. Returning now, I want to fully demonstrate my abilities, do everything possible within my capabilities, help the club achieve its goals. That is my goal."

Liao Junjian integrated quickly into Guangzhou豹 because the team includes former teammates and past opponents. "Our team's coach Liu Tao was a teammate when we were at Guangdong Sunray Cave; he was the captain then, and we even shared a room. I have been teammates with Liang Xueming before, and with Hou Yu during the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. Jiang Jihong is an old opponent on the field. Everyone is quite familiar. With them here, I feel I integrated quite quickly."

Systematic winter training also provided good conditions for Liao Junjian to磨合 with the new team and new teammates. Guangzhou豹's winter training第一阶段 took place in Guangzhou,第二阶段 went to Thailand, during which the team played several热身赛: "Through these two stages of winter training and multiple matches, everyone has gained deeper understanding of each other, improving默契 significantly." Liao Junjian stated that as a member of the team, he will set an example in training, serving as a榜样 for young teammates: "I give my full effort in training every day, usually arriving first, hoping to bring positive, proactive influence and improve the team's training atmosphere."

Besides加速融入 the team himself, Liao Junjian actively helps new foreign players integrate. "Guangzhou is also like my home. When foreign players come here, I want them to integrate quickly, treat this place as their home, and everyone interact like in a big family." After training, Liao Junjian actively communicates with foreign players and also eats together, maintaining harmonious relationships.

Liao Junjian believes that the newly introduced foreign players and the existing foreign players complement each well, effectively enhancing the team's attacking power: "Nicom was with the team last year; his individual ability is strong, excellent in organizing passes, creating威胁 passes, and shooting. The newly introduced Tudoley is a tall striker, a very good支点 in the front field; his ability in做球, positioning, and seizing opportunities is excellent. Kamala has突出的 individual ability, fast speed, and is a winger-type player. These three正好 complement each other, bringing significant help to the team's offense."

Regarding the competitive landscape of the new season's China League One, Liao Junjian thinks this year's China League One competition is far more intense than previous years, with small gaps between teams,呈现 a "big乱斗"态势: "Shenzhen Youth have ambitions, Nantong Zhiyun also have strength. The strengths of each team are relatively close, without obvious强弱之分. So this year's competitive situation is definitely more chaotic than往年, a big乱斗. Whoever can maintain stability will laugh last."

Liao Junjian believes that promotion competition differs greatly from relegation competition; relatively speaking, promotion competition is more残酷: "Promotion is not easy, unlike relegation. For relegation, some matches can be放弃; just secure enough points. Promotion requires winning every match to achieve the goal. Therefore, promotion demands the team perform best in every detail to稳步推进."

Despite the difficulty of promotion, Liao Junjian is full of信心. "To reach the highest platform, preparation must be done well, continuously improving in team细节安排 and调度, step by step. From communication with the club, I can feel the决心 and诚意 for positive development. I hope to grow together with the club, taking each step well, becoming better together. My biggest hope for the new season is to help Guangzhou豹 achieve promotion. If the club achieves its goal, I will accomplish my personal season goal."

Meizhou Hakka is a team Liao Junjian served for 4 years. Mentioning his old club, Liao Junjian expresses deep感情 and不舍. At the end of the 2025 season, Meizhou Hakka, as the only county-level Chinese Super League team nationwide, regrettably relegated due to various reasons. As the captain of Meizhou Hakka, Liao Junjian admits he bears certain responsibility. "Everyone worked hard and fought hard for relegation, but unfortunately the team still relegated. As the captain then, definitely there are responsibilities and areas to总结." Meanwhile, Liao Junjian also states that Meizhou football has unique魅力: "Meizhou has always been a traditional重镇 for Chinese football, contributing batches of talents to Chinese football. Meizhou football indeed has its own unique aspects, such as everyone's热爱 for football being感动, such as emphasizing技术. Only by living there can one personally feel it."

Even though he has now left Meizhou Hakka, Liao Junjian still maintains联系 with his old club: "I often chat with old friends from Meizhou Hakka,了解 the team's recent situation,互相了解 each other's circumstances and developments, maintaining沟通 continuously. Although my contract with Meizhou Hakka expired and I left the team, in my heart I always hope they can越来越好, quickly度过 difficult times, recover well, and have a better future."

From his hometown Beihai, Guangxi to Dongguan Nancheng, Guangdong Sunray Cave, and Meizhou Hakka, to now Guangzhou豹, Liao Junjian has served four Guangdong teams. Having already settled in Guangzhou, Liao Junjian says Guangdong has always been a热土 for Chinese football, which is why he has formed an indissoluble bond with Guangdong football: "Previously, I也算 made small contributions to Guangdong football. Now, I hope to make my own contributions in Guangzhou football's promotion journey, bringing a Chinese Super League team to Guangzhou,重振 the glory of Southern-style football."