Zhang Lie would start his football career playing for his local top-tier football team Shenyang Haishi in the 2000 league season and would eventually establish himself as the team's first choice goalkeeper by the club's manager Zhang Guangying at the beginning of the 2004 season, where he would go on to play in twenty-two league games throughout the campaign.
After a year out, Zhang was given a chance to revitalize his career with third-tier club Shenyang Dongjin who he saw win the division title and promotion to the second tier.
[2] The following season would see Zhang not only help establish Shenyang Dongjin within the league, but his impressive performances saw him guide the club to third and just miss out on a double promotion to the top tier.
The case would be heard by the Chinese Football Association who ruled that Zhang did not sign a contract extension and was free to join Shaanxi Renhe.
[5] After six years out of the international scene, then manager Gao Hongbo would not only call him up for a friendly but try Zhang out in a game against North Korea on 8 June 2011 in a 2-0 victory.