Born in the province of Henan to parents from Henan and Shandong, Li Ning moved to the city of Dalian when he was eight months old.[1] His first contact with football came when he was nine years old, at Dalian Ganjingzi District Huaxi Primary School, the primary school which he attended.[1] He showed promise in the school team, and so he was transferred to Ganjingzi Youth Sports School to pursue a footballing career.[1]
Career
Dalian Transcendence
At the start of the 2018 season, Li Ning was named in the first-team squad for China League One side Dalian Transcendence.[2] On 10 April 2018, Li Ning, aged 16 years and 172 days, started the game and provided an assist on his debut for Dalian Transcendence in a Chinese FA Cup third round tie with Sichuan Jiuniu, becoming the youngest ever player to make an appearance,[1][3] as well as becoming the youngest ever assist provider, in the competition.[1] He made his league debut for Dalian Transcendence on 28 October 2018, in a match against Beijing Enterprises, as a substitute for Admir Adrović in the 65th minute.[4]
Shenzhen
After the dissolution of Dalian Transcendence after the 2018 season, Li Ning joined the Shenzhen youth setup.[5] In the 2022 Chinese Super League season, Li was promoted to the Shenzhen first-team. On 19 December 2022, he made his debut for Shenzhen in an 8–0 loss against Shandong Taishan.[6] Under manager Chen Tao in the 2023 season, Li Ning gained more playing time with the club, making 24 appearances in all competitions.[7][8] In a league match against Dalian Pro on 13 May 2023, Li Ning provided an assist for Frank Acheampong in the 92nd minute to secure all three points for Shenzhen.[9] On 8 July 2023, Li Ning was sent off in a match against Beijing Guoan in the 41st minute, as Shenzhen went on to lose the game 5–0.[10] At the end of the season, Li Ning's Shenzhen experienced relegation from the Chinese Super League in the 2023 season, and subsequently folded in January 2024.[11]
Meizhou Hakka
On 27 February 2024, Li Ning made a free transfer to Chinese Super League side Meizhou Hakka.[12] Li Ning made his debut for Meizhou Hakka on 3 March 2024, in a league game that ended in a 2–0 loss to Shanghai Shenhua.[13] On 9 March, he provided two assists for Tyrone Conraad, as Meizhou Hakka drew 2–2 away at Henan.[14]
