Li Ning (footballer)

Li Ning (born 20 October 2001) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka.

Early life
Born in the province of Henan to parents from Henan and Shandong, Li Ning moved to the city of Dalian when he was eight months old. His first contact with football came when he was nine years old, at Dalian Ganjingzi District Huaxi Primary School, the primary school which he attended. He showed promise in the school team, and so he was transferred to Ganjingzi Youth Sports School to pursue a footballing career.

Dalian Transcendence
At the start of the 2018 season, Li Ning was named in the first-team squad for China League One side Dalian Transcendence. On 10 April 2018, Li Ning, aged 16 years and 172 days, started the game and provided an assist on his debut for Dalian Transcendence in a Chinese FA Cup third round tie with Sichuan Jiuniu, becoming the youngest ever player to make an appearance, as well as becoming the youngest ever assist provider, in the competition. He made his league debut for Dalian Transcendence on 28 October 2018, in a match against Beijing Enterprises, as a substitute for Admir Adrović in the 65th minute.

Shenzhen
After the dissolution of Dalian Transcendence after the 2018 season, Li Ning joined the Shenzhen youth setup. In the 2022 Chinese Super League season, Li was promoted to the Shenzhen first-team. On 19 December 2022, he made his debut for Shenzhen in an 8–0 loss against Shandong Taishan. Under manager Chen Tao in the 2023 season, Li Ning gained more playing time with the club, making 24 appearances in all competitions. In a league match against Dalian Pro on 13 May 2023, Li Ning provided an assist for Frank Acheampong in the 92nd minute to secure all three points for Shenzhen. On 8 July 2023, Li Ning was sent off in a match against Beijing Guoan in the 41st minute, as Shenzhen went on to lose the game 5–0. At the end of the season, Li Ning's Shenzhen experienced relegation from the Chinese Super League in the 2023 season, and subsequently folded in January 2024.

Meizhou Hakka
On 27 February 2024, Li Ning made a free transfer to Chinese Super League side Meizhou Hakka. Li Ning made his debut for Meizhou Hakka on 3 March 2024, in a league game that ended in a 2–0 loss to Shanghai Shenhua. On 9 March, he provided two assists for Tyrone Conraad, as Meizhou Hakka drew 2–2 away at Henan.