Erpan Ezimjan
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 January 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Emin County, Tacheng, Xinjiang, China | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2016 | Xinjiang Vocational Sports Technical College | ||
| 2017–2019 | Jiangsu Suning | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2020 | Jiangsu Suning | 0 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2021 | Qingdao | 0 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Jiangxi Lushan | 20 | (0) |
| 2025 | Xinjiang Jindun | ||
| International career | |||
| 2014 | China U16 | ||
| 2015 | China U17 | ||
| 2017 | China U19 | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:01, 21 July 2026 (UTC) | |||
Erpan Ezimjan (simplified Chinese: 叶尔凡·叶孜木江; traditional Chinese: 葉爾凡·葉孜木江; pinyin: Yèěrfán Yèzīmùjiāng; Uyghur: ئىرپان ھېزىمجاننى; born 14 January 1999), also known as Ërpan Hëzimjan, Ye Erfan and Erfan Hezim is a Chinese footballer who plays as a forward.
Club career
[edit]Born in Emin County in the Tacheng Prefecture of Xinjiang, China, Ezimjan took an interest in football at a young age.[1] He began playing at the age of five, and continued playing in primary and middle school, before enrolling at the Xinjiang Vocational Sports Technical College.[1] In 2013 he played at the Bayern Munich Youth Cup, before being invited to trial with the German club.[2] He joined Jiangsu Suning in 2017, and at the end of the year he was linked with a move to Italian club Inter Milan, as part of a deal the two clubs were arranging for Brazilian Alex Teixeira to make the same move from Jiangsu to Milan.[3]
After the deal with Inter Milan fell through, Ezimjan continued to progress through the academy, and in 2019 he was loaned to China League One club Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic.[4] After twenty-five appearances for Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic,[5] Ezimjan returned to Jiangsu's academy, and in 2020 he was announced as a new loan signing for Taizhou Yuanda[6] – though this move eventually fell through.[7]
In 2021 he went on trial with Qingdao, but was reportedly close to signing with Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic instead.[8] However, in April 2021 it was announced that he had joined Qingdao.[9] After Qingdao were disbanded at the end of the 2021 season, he joined China League One club Jiangxi Lushan.
International career
[edit]Ezimjan represented China at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level. In 2017, during the Panda Cup, he scored a bicycle kick goal against Hungary in China's 4–1 loss.[10] The goal was compared to one scored by Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Personal life
[edit]Having been promoted to the Jiangsu Suning first team in 2018, and playing in a friendly match against Ukrainian opposition Shakhtar Donetsk in Dubai, Ezimjan was a notable absentee in Jiangsu's opening Chinese Super League fixtures.[11] According to United States propaganda outlet Radio Free Asia, Ezimjan was taken to a "political re-education camp" in February 2018, and player representation organisation FIFPRO issued a statement calling for his release.[11][12] Chinese propaganda outlet China Daily ran an article on the Xinjiang situation, accusing the west of "smearing" its image, and denied that Ezimjan had been detained.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 21 July 2026.
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jiangsu Suning | 2019 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic (loan) | 2019 | China League One | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Qingdao | 2021 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jiangxi Lushan | 2022 | China League One | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
- ↑ Includes Chinese FA Cup
References
[edit]- 1 2 "生长在足球之乡，叶尔凡用翻跟头打动恩师成传奇射手" [Growing up in the heart of football, Yerfan impressed his mentor with his somersaults and became a legendary striker]. Phoenix Television (in Chinese). 6 August 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "苏宁官宣签下叶尔凡 曾在国青赛轰出伊布式倒勾" [Suning officially announced the signing of Ye Erfan, who once scored an Ibrahimovic-esque bicycle kick in the national youth tournament]. NetEase (in Chinese). 7 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "新疆足球小将叶尔凡要去意大利踢球！成为国米求购特谢拉筹码" [Xinjiang's young football star, Ye Erfan, is going to play in Italy! He becomes a bargaining chip for Inter Milan's bid to acquire Teixeira]. Tencent QQ (in Chinese). 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "官方：江苏苏宁U23小将叶尔凡加盟中甲升班马陕西" [Official announcement: Jiangsu Suning U23 player Ye Erfan joins newly promoted China League One team Shaanxi]. Phoenix Television (in Chinese). 28 February 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "西北狼之声 - 叶尔凡专访" [The Voice of the Northwest Wolves - Interview with Yerfan]. Sohu (in Chinese). 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "官方：U21小将叶尔凡、倪寅、郑智铭租借加盟泰州远大" [Official announcement: U21 players Ye Erfan, Ni Yin, and Zheng Zhiming have joined Taizhou Yuanda on loan]. Sina Sports (in Chinese). 12 February 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "尴尬！国青C罗官宣转会后又遭"退货"，2年前曾与欧洲豪门传绯闻" [Awkward! Cristiano Ronaldo, after officially announcing his transfer to the Chinese youth national team, was "rejected" again; he was rumored to be linked with a European powerhouse two years ago]. Tencent QQ (in Chinese). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "江苏队前锋叶尔凡离开了青岛队训练营，接近免签重庆队" [Jiangsu team forward Ye Erfan left the Qingdao team's training camp and is close to signing with Chongqing team on a free transfer]. Dongqiudi (in Chinese). 31 March 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "青岛队官方宣布刘健等9人正式加盟 与3将完成续约" [The Qingdao team officially announced the signing of 9 players including Liu Jian and the contract renewal of 3 players]. Sohu (in Chinese). 9 April 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "熊猫杯-叶尔凡惊天倒钩 U19国青1-4匈牙利国青" [Panda Cup - Yerfan's stunning bicycle kick: China's U19 national youth team 1-4 Hungary's U19 national youth team]. Sohu (in Chinese). 17 May 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- 1 2 "La Cina ha deportato uno dei suoi migliori talenti?" [Did China deport one of its best talents?]. Ultimo Uomo (in Italian). 28 February 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "FIFPro statement: Chinese player 'detained'". FIFPRO. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "观中国 - 为了抹黑新疆，西方从哪找了这么多"群众演员"？" [View China - Where did the West find so many "extras" to smear Xinjiang?]. China Daily (in Chinese). 30 April 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2026.