Nicholas Harry Yennaris (born 24 May 1993), also known as Li Ke (Chinese: 李可; pinyin: Lǐ Kě), is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua. Born in England, he plays for the China national team at international level.
Yennaris began his career in the academy at Premier League club Arsenal and came to prominence in the Football League with Brentford. After transferring to Beijing Guoan in 2019, Yennaris was naturalised as a Chinese citizen and took the name Li Ke. He transferred to Shanghai Shenhua in 2025. Born in England to a Chinese mother and a Greek-Cypriot father, he was eligible to represent all four nations at international level and won 10 youth caps for England. Yennaris made his senior international debut for China in late 2019. He has been described as a "rugged, all action defensive player, with a positive, winning mentality".
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Club career
Arsenal
After beginning his youth career with Ridgeway Rovers, Yennaris joined the Arsenal Academy in May 2001 at age seven. He began his career as a forward and as he progressed through the ranks, he was moved back into a central midfield position, before being moved to full back. Injuries halted his progress in 2008 and the club were planning to release him just weeks before he signed a two-year scholarship deal in 2009. Yennaris won his first silverware with the club when he captained the U18 team to the 2009–10 Premier Academy League title. Yennaris signed his first professional contract in July 2010, but he missed much of the 2010–11 season with a long-standing ankle problem.
Yennaris received his maiden call into the first team squad for a League Cup third round tie versus Shrewsbury Town on 29 September 2011 and he remained an unused substitute during the 3–1 win. His first team debut came in the following round versus Bolton Wanderers, in which he played the full 90 minutes of a 2–1 win. After signing a new contract, Yennaris made two further substitute appearances before joining League One club Notts County on a youth loan in March 2012. Signing until the end of the 2011–12 season, he made two appearances before returning to Arsenal early through injury. Yennaris signed a contract extension with Arsenal during the 2012 off-season.
Yennaris was named in just two first team matchday squads during the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, making one appearance. On 28 November 2013, Yennaris joined Championship club Bournemouth on loan until 2 January 2014. He was an unused substitute on three occasions and failed to make an appearance for the club. Entering the final six months of his contract, Yennaris departed Arsenal on 27 January 2014, after making only four senior appearances for the club.
On 27 January 2014, Yennaris transferred to League One club Brentford and signed a 2+1⁄2 year contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw at Shrewsbury Town on 1 February, but was replaced by Adam Forshaw after suffering a dead leg on 50 minutes. After returning to fitness, he made sporadic appearances through to the end of a successful season for the Bees, in which the club secured automatic promotion to the Championship after a 1–0 victory over Preston North End on 18 April. Though he made only eight appearances during the second half of the 2013–14 season, Yennaris received a League One runners-up medal after the final match of the season against Stevenage.
Beijing Guoan
On 31 January 2019, Yennaris transferred to Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan for an undisclosed fee. He made 25 appearances and scored two goals during the 2019 season. Yennaris made 22 appearances without scoring during the COVID-19-affected 2020 season, which ended with a third-place play-off finish. Yennaris made just three appearances during the 2021 season (again affected by COVID-19) and in November 2021 he was forced to undergo two surgeries in London on a calf artery embolism. He missed the entire 2022 season and underwent a third surgery in London in July 2022. By December 2022, Yennaris was undertaking outdoor training at the Arsenal Training Centre and by March 2023, he had returned to fitness and signed a two-year contract extension.
Two weeks shy of two years since his previous appearance for the club, Yennaris made his first appearance of the 2023 season as a substitute for Zhang Xizhe after 76 minutes of a 3–1 defeat to Qingdao Hainiu on 25 April 2023. He finished the season with 22 appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2024 season, Yennaris signed a contract extension. He made 24 appearances and scored one goal during the 2024 season, in which the club narrowly missed out on AFC Champions League Two qualification. Yennaris was released at the end of the 2024 season, when his contract expired. His six-season career with the club ended on 98 appearances and three goals.
Shanghai Shenhua
On 8 January 2025, Yennaris signed a one-year contract with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua on a free transfer. His first competitive match involvement came as an unused substitute in the victorious 2025 Chinese FA Super Cup squad. Yennaris made 37 appearances during a 2025 season in which the club finished as Chinese Super League runners-up. Yennaris made seven appearances during the first half of the 2026 season, prior to undergoing calf vascular bypass surgery in London in July 2026.
International career
Yennaris represented England at U17, U18 and U19 level. He made two appearances during the U17s' successful 2009 Nordic Tournament campaign. His solitary U18 cap came with a starting appearance in a 3–0 friendly win over Poland on 16 November 2010. Yennaris played in six friendlies for the U19s in late 2011 and early 2012, which were scheduled after the team received a bye to the elite round of the 2012 European U19 Championship qualifying. The friendly matches included three appearances at the 2011 Limoges Tournament, which England won. He was also eligible to represent China, Greece and Cyprus at international level.
On 30 May 2019, Yennaris made history by becoming the first ever naturalised player to be called up by China and he made his senior international debut with a start in a 2–0 friendly victory over the Philippines on 7 June 2019. He won five further caps during the remainder of the year. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term injuries, Yennaris was only capped once more between November 2019 and September 2023. He won a recall to the international team and won six caps in a mixture of friendlies and 2026 World Cup qualifiers between September and November 2023. Yennaris was named in China's 2023 AFC Asian Cup squad, but family reasons led to his withdrawal.
Personal life
Yennaris was born in Leytonstone, London to a father of Greek Cypriot origin and a mother of Chinese Hakka origin. His Chinese name is Li Ke (Chinese: 李可; pinyin: Lǐ Kě).
Yennaris is an Arsenal supporter and was a mascot for a match at Highbury versus Coventry City on 16 September 2000.
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 15 August 2026
International
As of match played 1 January 2024
Honours
Arsenal Youth
Premier Academy League: 2009–10
Shanghai Shenhua
Chinese FA Super Cup: 2025
England U17
Nordic Tournament: 2009
England U19
Limoges Tournament: 2011