Xu Genbao
Born in Shanghai, Mao joined Genbao Football Academy in 2000 and was promoted to Shanghai East Asia squad in 2006 for the China League Two campaign. He was described by academy's head master Xu Genbao as being a hot prospect for the future. However, he struggled from lingering injury and faced fierce competition in the forward position and could just make a few appearances for the club. On 19 September 2009, he scored his first goal in the League One, in a 2–1 away victory against Anhui Jiufang. Mao made one appearance in the 2012 season, as Shanghai East Asia won the champions and promoted to the top flight.