Zheng Zhi was born on the 20th of August, 1980, in China. Currently aged 44, he plays predominantly as a central midfielder for Guangzhou. At a sturdy height of 5ft 11in (1.82m) and a weight of 11st 6lb (73kg), he proudly sports the number 10 jersey. As a result, his imposing presence on the field hardly goes unnoticed.
Zhi's footballing journey commenced earnestly in January 2001 when he joined Shenzhen FC in the League One in China. His first season with the club saw him making 23 first-team appearances and scoring three goals. Over subsequent seasons, he consistently contributed to the squad, hitting a personal best of six goals in the 2002 season, with tallies of three and two goals in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
In January 2005, Zhi transferred to Shandong Taishan in the Super League, also in China. At Shandong, his goal-scoring prowess was further honed, with his tally rising to eight in the 2005 season and then a staggering 21 in 2006.
Zhi's talent drew attention from abroad and in December 2006, he transferred to Charlton Athletic in the League One in England on loan. His English journey began with a sound contribution of one goal in 12 appearances in the 2006/7 season. His performance notably heightened in the 2007/8 season where he netted seven goals in 42 appearances.
In a twist of events, his stay at Charlton Athletic became permanent in August 2007, for a fee of around £2m. He spent two more seasons with the club, contributing a goal each in both seasons.
In September 2009, Zhi's footballing path led him to iconic Celtic in the Premiership in Scotland. Despite his short stint at Celtic, he made a memorable contribution with one goal from 16 appearances in the 2009/10 season.
June 2010 marked Zhi's return to China when he transferred to Guangzhou in the League One in China. Up until the current season of 2024, he had made no first team appearances yet. Despite this, his dedication to football — from Shenzhen FC, through Shandong Taishan, Charlton Athletic, and Celtic, to Guangzhou — remains unmatched.
