{{short description|Chinese footballer and coach}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Gai Zengchen | image = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1955|04|06}} | birth_place = [[Dalian]], [[China]] | death_date = | height = | position = [[Forward (association football)|Striker]] | years1 = 1974–1984 | clubs1 = [[Liaoning Whowin F.C.|Liaoning FC]] | caps1 = | goals1 = | nationalyears1 = 1977–1980 | nationalteam1 = [[China national football team|China]] | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1995–1996 | managerclubs1 = [[China national under-20 football team|China U-20 team]] }}
'''Gai Zengchen''' ({{lang-zh|c=盖增臣}}; born 6 April 1955) is a Chinese [[association football|football]] coach and a former international who played for [[Liaoning Whowin F.C.|Liaoning FC]] as well as [[China national football team|China]] in the [[1980 Asian Cup]].
== Playing career == Gai Zengchen was born in [[Dalian]], where he showed great tactical awareness, and was soon snapped up by [[Liaoning Whowin F.C.|Liaoning FC]]. He joined their senior team in the 1974 Chinese league season. His abilities soon saw him called up to the [[China national under-20 football team|Chinese U-20 team]], where he played in the [[1975 AFC Youth Championship]] and helped guide China to a quarter-finals finish.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/as-u19-75.html Asian U-19 Championship 1975] at rsssf.org 18 Apr 2008 Retrieved 08-01-2012</ref> Back with Liaoning, he became a regular within their team as they went on to win the 1978 Chinese league title.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chinahist.html China 1978] at rsssf.org 22 Oct 2009 Retrieved 08-01-2012</ref> During this period, Gai received a call-up to the [[China national football team|senior national team]] and was included in the squad that went to the [[1980 Asian Cup]].
After spending several more years with Liaoning, he decided to retire in 1984, where he went back to his studies, finishing University. Gai returned to football in 1986 when he went back to Liaoning as a coach, which eventually made him their youth coach from 1989 to 1993. This was followed by a stint at a Chinese high school from 1993 to 1997 and a short period with the [[China national under-20 football team|Chinese U-20 team]].
In 1998, he returned to Liaoning before having a stint with [[Changchun Yatai]] in 1999, [[Dalian Shide F.C.]] in 2000. From 2002 to 2004, he sided with [[Shenyang Jinde]].<ref>[http://www.tyj.dl.gov.cn/sports/190301_231700.vm 运动健将--盖增臣] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055815/http://www.tyj.dl.gov.cn/sports/190301_231700.vm |date=4 March 2016 }} at tyj.dl.gov.cn 2010-04-02 Retrieved 08-01-2012</ref>
==Personal life== Gai Zengchen has three older brothers: Gai Zengsheng, Gai Zengxian, and Gai Zengjun. All four brothers used to be professional football players and are considered one of the most famous brothers in the Chinese football history.<ref>{{cite web |title=前中国足协副主席、老一代著名国脚盖增圣逝世，享年78岁 |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_1721774 |website=thepaper.cn |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=噩耗！足坛名宿去世，奠定大连足球辉煌时代，四兄弟全是专业球员 |url=https://new.qq.com/omn/20210805/20210805A0BGP800.html |website=qq.com |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref>
== Career statistics == === International statistics ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;" |- !Competition!!Year!!Apps!!Goal |- |rowspan=1|'''[[Great Wall Cup]]''' |1977||1||0 |- |rowspan=1|'''[[Asian Cup]]''' |1980||0||0 |- |rowspan=1|'''Total''' |||1||0 |- |- |}
==Honours== ===Player=== '''Liaoning FC''' *Chinese Jia-A League: 1978
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://teamchina.freehostia.com/en/player.php?id=gaizengchen Team China Stats]
{{China squad 1980 AFC Asian Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gai, Zengchen}} [[Category:1955 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Chinese men's footballers]] [[Category:Footballers from Dalian]] [[Category:China men's international footballers]] [[Category:1980 AFC Asian Cup players]] [[Category:Liaoning F.C. players]] [[Category:Chinese football managers]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:20th-century Chinese sportsmen]]