| Yao Diran | |
| Fullname: | Yao Diran |
| Birth Date: | 23 April 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Xi'an, Shaanxi, China |
| Height: | 1.89 m |
| Currentclub: | Shaanxi Union |
| Position: | Centre-back |
| Years1: | 2016 |
| Clubs1: | Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic |
| Years2: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs2: | Dalian Transcendence |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2019 |
| Clubs3: | Inner Mongolia Zhongyou |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2020 |
| Clubs4: | Qinghai Oulu International |
| Years5: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs5: | Shanxi Longjin |
| Caps5: | 25 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs6: | Guangxi Pingguo Haliao |
| Caps6: | 12 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2023 |
| Clubs7: | Dandong Tengyue |
| Caps7: | 25 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2024– |
| Clubs8: | Shaanxi Union |
| Caps8: | 0 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 00:46, 3 January 2024 (UTC) |
Yao Diran (; born 23 April 1996) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Shaanxi Union.
Born in Xi'an,[1] his senior career began at Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, where he was a member of a 2016 China Amateur Football League squad that won promotion to the 2017 China League Two.[2]
Yao spent 2017 and 2018 in the reserve team of China League One club Dalian Transcendence,[3] [4] before a move to the reserve team of fellow China League One side Inner Mongolia Zhongyou the following year.[5] In 2020, Yao played for Qinghai Oulu International in the 2020 CMCL season.[6]
In 2021, Yao signed for China League Two club Shanxi Longjin after a trial at the club,[7] and made his debut against Hebei Kungfu in the first game of the season on 16 May 2021.[8] Yao quickly became a starter for the club,[9] as they went unbeaten in the first stage of the season.[10] Yao scored his first senior goal on 17 July 2021 in a game against Dandong Tengyue.[11]
Following Shanxi Longjin's dissolution in April 2022,[12] Yao joined China League One club Guangxi Pingguo Haliao.[13] In his 12 league games, Yao provided 1 assist for the club.[14]
In 2023, Yao made a move to newly promoted China League One side Dandong Tengyue.[14] Yao made 27 appearances in the league,[14] where he provided a vital assist against Guangzhou to secure survival for Dandong.[15] On 23 June 2023, Yao scored a 90th-minute equaliser to put a Chinese FA Cup tie against Qingdao Hainiu to penalties, but it would end in a loss for Yao's Dandong Tengyue in the shoot-out.[16]
On 1 January 2024, Shaanxi Union announced that Yao had signed for the club on a two-year contract.[14]
Yao has been described by Shaanxi Union as being aggressive in one-on-one situations and being able to use his height advantage on the pitch.[14]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic | 2016 | CAFL | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Dalian Transcendence | 2017 | China League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | China League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Inner Mongolia Zhongyou | 2019 | China League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Qinghai Oulu International | 2020 | CMCL | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Shanxi Longjin | 2021 | China League Two | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 1 | |||
| Guangxi Pingguo Haliao | 2022 | China League One | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| Dandong Tengyue | 2023 | China League One | 25 | 0 | 2 | 3 | – | – | 27 | 3 | |||
| Shaanxi Union | 2024 | China League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 62 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 4 | |||