[6] In the top tier for the first time with the club, he scored his first goal for them on 1 April 2017 in a 1–0 home win against Henan Jianye; however, he was sent off in the 94th minute after receiving two yellow cards.
[7] Despite his indiscretion he would play a vital part in the team that qualified for 2018 AFC Champions League, where he helped guide them to a quarter-finals where they lost to Kashima Antlers in their first attempt in the competition.
The following season he would be used even more sparingly at Guangzhou and would go on to be loaned out to second tier club Wuhan Three Towns in the 2021 China League One campaign.
[11] The following campaign Wuhan would make the move permanent and he would be part of the squad that won the 2022 Chinese Super League title.
[12] Liu was called up to the Chinese national team by then manager Marcello Lippi for the first time in November 2017 for the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.