China head coach Li Tie hit back at Wu Lei's detractors after the RCD Espanyol striker scored two goals to help China beat Guam 7-0 at a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
"I think his doubters can shut up now. They'd better stop criticizing Wu Lei," Li said.
"He is now the only Chinese player in the top European leagues, and sometimes he played more and sometimes he played less, but we can see he has made solid progress there," he said.
"When he retires in five or ten years, what he learns in Europe will benefit Chinese football," Li added.
Wu has been benched for most of the season when Espanyol won promotion to the La Liga, prompting some Chinese critics to suggest that he was not good enough to earn a starter position at the Spanish side.
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