Gao Hongbo
Yu was called up to the Chinese national team by then manager Gao Hongbo and made his debut on 18 December 2010 in a 3-0 win against Estonia. After making several further appearances, he scored his first goal for China on 22 February 2012 in a 2-0 unofficial friendly win against Kuwait. Yu did not have to wait long before he scored his first official goal when he scored on 29 February 2012 in a 3-1 win against Jordan during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.