Beckham bends his praise to female Chinese footballer
Soccer phenom David Beckham congratulated the Chinese women's football team on its historic win of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup by quoting a celebratory post by 21-year-old forward Zhang Linyan on Tuesday evening on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter. He also recalled their meeting back in 2013.
British football star David Beckham's latest Weibo post
"It's amazing how your hard work has paid off and you have reached your dream," Beckham said in his quote that Zhang responded to 12 minutes later, replying: "Thanks for remembering me still. I have been keeping the precious soccer ball you autographed. I'll continue to work hard!"
Zhang replies to Beckham's post 12 minutes after he posted it.
Zhang was selected the future star of the 2022 Indian Women's Asian Cup final for facilitating a penalty kick and scoring a goal during her outstanding 35 minutes in the game.
Zhang began showing her talent for football when she was 8 years old. She joined the national junior football team in 2013, Guangzhou Daily reported. At 12 years old at the time, Zhang won the opportunity to meet Beckham in Beijing as the result of her excellent performance in the AFC U-14 Women's Championship.
Beckham signs a soccer ball for Zhang in 2013.
Beckham hands the signed soccer ball to Zhang.
The soccer ball signed by Beckham
The young Zhang dreamed about joining the national team and becoming a world champion, and her efforts have paid off.
China rallied back from 0-2 down to beat South Korea 3-2 in the Asian Cup final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, claiming the title for ninth time – after 16 years.
Head coach Shui Qingxia replaced star striker Wang Shuang, who was playing with an ankle injury, with Zhang in the 60th minute. Zhang tied the game 2-2 in the 72nd minute with a header four minutes after Tang Jiali's penalty kick cut the deficit to 2-1.
Head coach Shui Qingxia and Zhang Linyan celebrate after winning the final in India on Sunday.
The Chinese women's football team arrived in Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province on Tuesday, according to the team's official Weibo account, where it will undergo 21 days of quarantine.
The Chinese women's football team is hailed upon their arrival in Suzhou on Tuesday with a welcome banner reading "You can always trust Chinese women's football."
