THE HAGUE, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese player Li Sirong said he has developed into a better footballer after spending five years at the Ado Den Haag academy.

The 17-year-old, who signed a professional contract with Ado Den Haag on Monday, joined the Eredivisie club's academy in 2015 to pursue his dream.

"When I arrived here five years ago, I began to dream of playing for the Chinese national team one day," he said.

"I have grown into a better player over those years. I can read the game better and perform more consistently than five years ago. And I fit into the team better too as I can speak the local language," he said.

Li said the fact that the owner of Ado Den Haag is Chinese played a role in earning him the contract, which will expire in the summer of 2024.

"I think that helped a bit. But I was sure I won this contract with my efforts," he said.

Li said his next career aim is to enter the first team of Ado Den Haag and become a regular starter.

Mohammed Hamdi, CEO of the Dutch top-flight club, said Li deserved the contract.

"We gave him a long-term contract, I think that for Ado Den Haag is important because his story is also quite unique. When he came a couple of years ago with his family to the Netherlands, he had only one dream that is he wanted to be a professional football player," he said.

"It's amazing to see how he's developed himself and how he adapted together with his family, he speaks Dutch fluently. Amazing. He is really talented," he said. Enditem

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