Born in Sanshui, Guangdong, Li Yongjia was identified as having better promise in football than his peers at a young age.[1] In his primary school years, he led his school, Xinan Central Primary School, to clinch first-place in a district-wide primary school football competition.[1] In 2013, to pursue a future career in football, he joined the Sanshui Sports School, then the Foshan Sports School shortly after.[1] In 2016, he joined the Guangdong Youth Football Team, and took his team to a second-place finish in the 2018 National Youth Super League at the under-17 level.[1] In 2019, Li Yongjia joined the youth academy of Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F.[1]
Club career
Guangzhou City
On 17 May 2022, it was announced that Li Yongjia was promoted to Guangzhou City's first-team squad for the upcoming 2022 Chinese Super League season, fielding the number 38 shirt.[2] He made his senior and professional debut on 15 June 2022, coming on as a 79-minute substitute for Zhang Gong in a league game against Henan Songshan Longmen, which ended in a 3–0 defeat for Guangzhou City.[3] He then gained consistent playing time under then-Guangzhou City head coach Li Weifeng, and scored his first senior goal on 13 September 2022 with a curler in a 1–0 Guangzhou derby victory against Guangzhou FC,[4] becoming the first ever CSL goalscorer from Sanshui.[5]
Meizhou Hakka
Following Guangzhou City's financial difficulties and their subsequent dissolution, on 9 March 2023, Li Yongjia signed for Chinese Super League side Meizhou Hakka, where he would continue wearing the number 38.[6] He made his debut for Meizhou Hakka on 15 April 2023, on the opening game of the 2023 league season away against Beijing Guoan, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[5] He scored his first goal for Meizhou Hakka on 9 June 2023, as a substitute in a 3–2 home loss against Cangzhou Mighty Lions.[7]
International career
On 12 September 2023, Li Yongjia was selected as part of the 22-men squad that would compete for China in the 2022 Asian Games.[8]
