Wu Chengshu Returns to Ligue 1 Wearing No. 17: After Four Consecutive Years Abroad, Is She a Benchmark for Chinese Women's Football Players Overseas?

Are fans in Deyang doing well? Recently, another major piece of good news emerged. What do you think about a 30-year-old female football player giving up a stable, high-paying domestic contract and choosing to move to Ligue 1 to start over with a new team? What is she seeking? Is she really taking a path in Chinese football that nobody dares to take? Many Chinese male football players today are unwilling to go abroad at all. Compared with this, why is the gap so large?

We know some Chinese men's national team players are suitable for going abroad, but they simply do not want to. According to Wei Shihao, he has received invitations from several top clubs in Europe's five major leagues, but rejected them. He also had overseas experience, but spent most of his time on the bench, which prevented him from improving his skills, while also wasting his prime years and earning opportunities. Now he has changed his thinking, choosing to stay in China where he can earn money, play regularly, become a team core, and receive support from fans. Isn't this kind of life appealing?

However, Chinese women's football players have a broader vision. They do not think this way. They believe that only by going abroad and experiencing more high-level international competition can they improve. This is also the wish of most Chinese women's football players. More than ten players have gone abroad and played in the five major leagues. They have become key players for their teams and have even been given captain responsibilities, showing how much their coaches value them. Now this female football player has become a team core. Who is she?

She is Wu Chengshu. French club Nantes Women officially announced her arrival, and the two sides will sign a contract until June 30, 2028. In the new season, she will wear the No. 17 shirt and continue competing in the French women's top division. At only 30 years old, she has won multiple Asian Cup titles with the team and participated in three matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup. She is an attacking all-rounder who can play multiple positions in the forward line. Who would not like such a versatile player?

Many people only saw the short announcement that 'Wu Chengshu joined Nantes' and failed to understand its significance. This will already be her fourth consecutive season staying in Ligue 1. Since first stepping onto French pitches in 2023, she has played 53 matches for Dijon and scored 10 goals in a highly competitive European league. More interestingly, Nantes coach Picard was the mentor who helped develop her from a substitute into a regular rotation player at Dijon. She does not need to spend time building communication with the coach and can directly become a core part of the team, carrying three years of accumulated understanding into this new chapter. This steady approach to playing abroad is completely different from the 'gold-plating' approach of players who return home after spending only half a year on the bench overseas.

In contrast, some Chinese men's football players begin planning to return home for high-paying contracts in their late twenties, describing it as seeking stability at the end of their careers. But Wu Chengshu chose differently. At 30, an age when many people believe players should 'settle down', she instead stepped outside her comfort zone and joined a new team to continue competing in Ligue 1. Think about it: we often criticize domestic players for being too comfortable and unwilling to challenge themselves abroad, but when someone actually rejects domestic high-paying offers during her prime years and chooses to keep fighting overseas, why is the first reaction to question whether she has 'no future'?

Huang Qiang Sports Commentary believes many people think playing abroad only counts as success if a player joins a major club, becomes a core player, and produces world-class statistics. However, Wu Chengshu's move challenges that idea. As long as you can go abroad, you are making progress. Regardless of the outcome, you have taken a step toward success. In professional football, there are not many opportunities for instant breakthroughs. Real growth does not come from borrowing the reputation of elite clubs, but from improving skills and awareness through every intense match and gradually turning European football experience into part of your playing habits. Is her choice of 'pursuing growth rather than attention' not more worthy of praise than players who go overseas simply to 'check in' for publicity? What do you think of Wu Chengshu's performance? Why can't Chinese men's football achieve this? Share your opinions in the comments.

This article is an original piece by Huang Qiang Sports Commentary. The information and image materials come from the internet. If there are any issues, please contact the author for removal.