Du Wei, born on 9 February 1982 in China, is a 42-year-old defender who primarily operates in the centre-back position, currently playing for Hebei. Standing at 6ft 1in (1.87m) and weighing 12st 8lb (80kg), he has made a reputation for himself in the world of professional football.
Wei's career began in earnest with Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League in July 2002. Then, in August 2005, a significant transition took place as Wei joined Celtic, on loan, marking his first foray into Scottish football.
During his time at Celtic, Wei showed glimpses of his defending prowess. He returned to his home club of Shanghai Shenhua in January 2006, ending his brief but memorable loan stint with the Scottish giants. The impact of his tenure at Celtic goes beyond bare statistics, as it was during this tenure he honed his skills and further developed his understanding of the game under the inclement Scottish weather and the Scottish Premiership’s robust playing style.
Wei continued his career back in his homeland, with a significant move to Shandong Taishan in July 2012 for a fee of around £1.1m. He then made a switch to Hebei in China's League One in February 2015. The fee for this transfer, interestingly, remains undisclosed.
Regardless of where Du Wei's future career takes him, his time spent at Celtic will always be remembered fondly by the fans and looked upon by the player himself as a pivotal period in his progression.
