ASIAN ICONS
LI KE
BEIJING GUOAN
Leytonstone born and bred, the artist formerly known as Arsenal and Brentford’s Nico Yennaris relocated to Beijing and even changed his name in 2019 – all for the love of playing international football
Interview Sean Cole
What have you gained from being in China over the past couple of years?
I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself, first of all – that whole experience of having to move away and grow up again, in some ways. I’ve had to adapt to a different culture, a different style of food, a new environment, a new team and a new way of life. There are several things that are completely different over here compared to the UK. Football-wise, I’ve had to adapt my game quite a bit – it’s a different style in China. I’ve probably taken some more responsibility within the team as well, coming from Europe having had that football education.