Reporter Lu Mi reports After two years of hibernation and five years of ups and downs, in the spring of 2025, Hou Yongyong's name will finally be written together with the Chinese Super League again. From the much-anticipated "first naturalized person" to the injured frustrated, from the halo of one of the "three heroes of Norway" on his head to the eye of the storm in public opinion, Hou Yongyong's football life in China seems to be always wandering in controversy and expectations.

In 2023, he returned to Norway and spent a year regaining his form and redeeming himself with a Norwegian MVP. At the beginning of the new year, he finally received a call-up from the Chinese men's national football team, and the goal that he had not been able to complete in the previous four years of the Chinese Super League career has finally been achieved.

This selection has also become an opportunity for him to return to the Chinese Super League, joining Yunnan Yukun is the result of his careful consideration, he wants to continue his football dream here, and prove himself again to the Chinese Super League.

◆Football: How did you adapt after joining Yukun? How are you in the team these days?

Hou Yongyong: First of all, I feel very good, the team was training in Thailand before, and then they came together about 10 days ago, and the overall rhythm was very tight. Since joining Yukun, all the players have been very friendly to me, we have gone through a lot of training sessions together and the whole team is working hard to prepare for the first Super League season in the club's history.

◆Playing in the Super League should be very important to you, what are your criteria in the selection of the team? Is the choice also more cautious?

In the process of deciding on the next stop, I have communicated with many clubs and coaches, including considering the team's tactical style of play and so on. From a manager's point of view, Coach Anderson and I have a good communication, and Yukun gives me the feeling that I must choose them. I think I can have better performance and more opportunities in Yukun, and for me who has just returned from Norway, I think it is more suitable to choose Yukun.

◆Before the special trip to Yunnan to discuss the franchise, when I first arrived in Kunming, there were many fans to pick up the airport, in fact, it was only the early stage of negotiations, did the enthusiasm of Yunnan fans for you surprise you?

Indeed, it was my first time in Yunnan and I had no idea that so many fans would pick me up at the airport. I think the fans here are great, the fans are very important to a professional team, and they gave me a good first impression of the team. Their passion for me is one of the reasons why I chose to join this team.

◆Yunnan Yukun is a promoted horse, what is your impression of the team? This year's team goal is relegation, how to achieve this goal?

First of all, I know that Yukun is a promoted horse, and Yunnan has not had a Chinese Super League team in the past two decades. It can be expected that we may have some difficulties in the new season. During the winter training period, we welcomed some new players, including me, who are very good, so I feel we can go for good results. It's important that we try to get off to a good start in the season and showcase the characteristics of Yunnan football on the top flight stage for everyone to see our style.

◆What are the opportunities and challenges you see here?

When I was playing in the Chinese Super League, I was affected by injuries and didn't play much. At that time, I was also relatively young and inexperienced. I've had a lot of experience in the last season and I think it's my chance to get more opportunities for myself.

The challenges I face are the same as the team. The team is a promoted team, and I have just returned to the Chinese Super League, so I have to have enough courage and strategy to deal with unknown difficulties. So from the start of the new season, I want to show my confidence to all the fans by scoring more goals and assists.

◆Football: After returning to Norway, the 2023 season was not so good, why did you have a burst last year?

Hou Yongyong: When I first came back to Norway in 2023, I hadn't played for almost two and a half years. It takes time to recover from an injury, and it takes time to get back in shape after recovery.

Unfortunately, I got injured again in my first race back to Norway and spent the next three months recovering. So by the summer of 2023, I hadn't played well for almost three years. It's frustrating for the athletes, but the team was very understanding of my situation and gave me time to recover and wait patiently for me to get back to my best.

So, in the second half of 2023, I put my whole energy into recovery and was very well prepared for the 2024 season. I think my relative peace of mind and the trust of the team at that time were the main reasons for my explosive form last year.

◆When you played in Norway, did you ever think that you could go back to the Chinese Super League and be an international player?

When I first came back to Norway, it was difficult for me. But after going through this, I set a goal to try to enter the Chinese national team through my performance in 2024. Becoming an international is everyone's dream. Throughout the 2024 season, I was in very good shape and played well, so I got the opportunity to become an international player in the Chinese team and have the opportunity to play for the country, which is the best motivation and affirmation for me. Because of his own dedication, years of waiting finally paid off.

◆After playing in the Chinese Super League for four years, I was not selected for the national team, but after leaving the Chinese Super League, I was selected for the national team.

Actually, it's not a coincidence, I think it's a natural thing. When I first came to China, I was in my early 20s, so I was very young. At the same time, I didn't have a lot of experience, especially in a new environment, where everything was unfamiliar and I had a long period of injuries that prevented me from playing the football I wanted.

When I came back to Europe, I was lucky enough to overcome the injury and I could feel the confidence that had grown since I recovered. With this foundation, I was able to be selected for the national team as I gained experience and improved my form. Playing in Norway for the past two years, I've learned to deal with injuries with a sense of composure. Time will tell you what you have paid for football and what you will gain.

◆Growing up in Norway, how has the Norwegian football environment influenced your career?

The atmosphere of football in Norway is certainly different from that in China, and my friends in Norway, my classmates at school and my family all play football. When I came back to Norway, I also felt that Norwegian football is getting better and better, there are clubs competing in the top competitions in Europe, and there are a lot of good players at the national team level, which has created a mentality that I want to strive for. In fact, I think that this kind of culture does not distinguish between countries, but in the final analysis, it is the worldview brought by football, whether it is in Norway or China.

◆This time, he stayed abroad as a foreign aid to play in Norway, what kind of mentality is he treating?

When I returned to Norway as a Chinese player, I thought it was actually okay, and I didn't feel that everyone treated me as a foreign player. We all speak the same language, my teammates and I are familiar with each other, and that's where I grew up.

Each team in the Norwegian league can have a lot of foreign players. I thought that the Norwegian league might have a lot of demand for foreign players, but most clubs don't really need that much, so I didn't feel like I was being treated like a foreign player there.

◆When you came to Beijing in 2019, what did you adapt to the most long? Now that I'm back in China, is it a bit easier to adapt?

At that time, I felt that there was a big contrast. I came to Beijing in my early 20s, and I went from a Norwegian city with a population of 200,000 to a big city like Beijing with a population of more than 20 million. At the same time, Beijing Guoan is also a very big club, the team is full of very good and famous players, and the Chinese Super League at that time also has a strong competitiveness, so the sense of contrast is very strong.

I feel like I'm more resilient now than I was before. As I get older and more experienced, I don't need to spend much time adapting to the environment now. Just like this time in Yunnan, which is also a new city and a new team, I just want to play the ball well. In the process, over time, I will get along better with the city and spark more with the team. These will help me achieve my goals better.

◆Football: Back in China, theoretically your first stop is the national team, how do you feel when you see your name on the national team training list?

Hou Yongyong: I was very happy when I received the news, it was a great honor for me, I think it is the dream of every child who has been playing football since childhood, and I am the same. It's also a huge encouragement for me, a testament to my performance over the past season and a recognition of what I've been dormant for a while. In addition, my family was happy for me, and I believe that it was a moment of pride for our whole family.

◆There are a lot of players in the national team that you know well, how do you feel when you meet them? What are the benefits of the training camp?

There are a lot of players in the national team that I know, both former opponents and teammates. I was very excited to meet them again for the first time I returned to China. In fact, when I first returned to Norway, I didn't have much contact with my teammates back home, after all, China and Norway are too far away and there is a time difference. Seeing them this time makes it feel like we've played together again, and I love the feeling of being together.

Participating in the national team training camp in January was a great process for me as a first-time selection, and it must have been an unforgettable experience in my career. The training camp was scheduled at the beginning of the season, and the head coach Mr. Ivankovic gave us a lot of training sessions, as well as special training on the physical aspect, which helped me a lot. I feel that the level of the national team is very high, I am a newcomer to the national team, I am curious about everything, and I find everything interesting.

◆What was your impression of Ivan when you first met him, and you mentioned that you are a newcomer, what do you ask of you?

The head coach, Ivankovic, welcomed me and told me to show my ability in all training sessions, to be in good spirits and full of competitive ability at all times. I think what he said is important to me at this stage and he also emphasised to be myself and play the football I want and I'm looking forward to doing well together in the future. I also had my birthday in the national team, which I thought was very warm and the atmosphere of the national team was great.

◆How do you feel about the dream that was not realized before and has come true at this moment?

Being selected for the national team, especially for the first time, is indescribably exciting. On the other hand, I think this selection has given me more confidence and will help me grow in my career for a long time to come. Because you want to start the league season as an active international, it's a completely different feeling. I feel like this will help me succeed in the new season.

◆As one of the first naturalized players in the history of Chinese football, when you first played in the Chinese Super League as a Chinese player, how did you view your identity as a "naturalized player"?

For this identity, I felt that it was an honor from the beginning. Because from my family's point of view, it is very meaningful to be able to become a Chinese player in the way of football. Of course, at the beginning, I was a little frustrated because I didn't fulfill my mission and goals as a naturalized player due to a long period of injuries. But now, I'm going to come back to this land in a new state, fulfill my dreams that didn't come true, and do my best to help my team and my country.

◆Naturalized players have always carried more public expectations, what do you think about this?

Indeed, fans may have more expectations for naturalized players, because the matter of naturalized players is to let these players help Chinese football achieve better results, and it is normal for fans to have high expectations. As a result, fans will also pay special attention to the performance of naturalized players. For me, it's not a pressure, it's a motivation. I need to use that motivation to push myself all the time and give back to these high expectations with better performances.

◆Returning as an international, the national team also has the task of the World Preliminary Tournament this year, what are your goals in the national team?

The first time I was selected, I just followed the team for a period of training, and now my goal is to be selected for the next training camp and help the national team achieve their goals, such as qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. If I can be selected again, I will do my best to help the team. Of course, before that we have to start the new season of the Chinese Super League, and I hope to maintain my good competitive form through the league.

◆Football: What has been the significance of your career from Norway when you first came to China?

Hou Yongyong: Beijing Guoan was the first club I came to play in China, and it was a stepping stone for me to become a Chinese player. Guoan is a big family, and for me, that experience was very important and valuable in my career. They accepted me who was completely new to the Chinese Super League, and even I was not very experienced. Although I didn't get to play much because of injuries, I still learned a lot there and started to know Chinese football, and I am very grateful to Guoan FC.

◆Suffering a serious injury during your time at Guoan, how do you think about your career? Have you ever doubted your decision to come to China to play?

It was tough when I was injured, but I never doubted the decision. After all, as a player, I know that injuries are part of professional football, and I can't have predicted them in advance, so I accepted them because they couldn't avoid it. It's just that looking back now, I think that experience actually helped me grow and made me stronger inside.

◆You went back to Norway to play football and had a successful career, and there were also Norwegian Super League teams who invited you to join, why did you choose to return to the Chinese Super League?

Yes, there were teams from Norway who were interested in me before, but I always had the feeling that when I came to China to play and wanted to prove myself here, injuries interrupted the process. When I came back to Norway, I always thought that I still wanted to go back to the Chinese Super League, and I had to show the Chinese fans what I was capable of and prove myself again.

Of course, there is a more important reason. When I go back to the Chinese Super League, it may be easier for the national team manager to pay attention to me, after all, the coach can see my games every week, and the travel between cities is not far, which will be better for my national team career.

◆How are you now? What kind of goals are there?

I'm really looking forward to the start of the new season and I need to prove myself in the competition, show myself as much as I can and be in good shape for a long time. Of course, I've just arrived at this club and I've been training with the team for about 10 days, so we still need a little bit of time to get used to it. I also need time to slowly do a good job step by step to help Yukun achieve the goal of the first Chinese Super League season in the team's history.

◆Now that you're 27 years old, is it the most mature stage for a professional footballer?

To be honest, it's hard to say, because I don't know what I'll be like in a few years. But at this age, as a player, it's a more mature age in all aspects. It's normal to play well and be in good shape. However, even though I'm feeling good right now, it will take time to get used to the new system and tactics. I believe that after a period of running-in, I will improve more and my competitive form will get better and better.

◆So do you think you have a lot of room to rise?

Of course, I don't think it's too late for me to improve my ability and form as a professional athlete. And as you know, I've missed a lot of football-related stuff in the last while, so I always feel like I can try to improve more. Returning to China is a new beginning, and I am sure that there will be a lot to gain from this journey.