Xiao Zhanbo started his career with second-tier club Liaoning in the 1996 Chinese league season as a defensive midfielder and was part of the squad that helped guide Liaoning to gain promotion at the end of the 1998 league campaign.
[2] Xiao Zhanbo would later move to then current title holders Shanghai Shenhua at the beginning of the 2004 league season where he found it difficult to quickly establish himself in his debut season only achieving 5 league games.
[3] The following season was to prove considerably more successful when Xiao would become an integral part of Shanghai's failed title bid that saw them come second in the league.
[6] At the end of the 2008 league season his contract with Shanghai expired and he was allowed to leave, this would see Xiao Zhanbo go around Asia to advertise his services and would gain a one-year contract with second tier Chinese club Chengdu Blades.
Since making his debut in 2003 he has predominately played in friendlies and has found Zhao Junzhe and Zhou Haibin as the preferred options in his position.