Ki Sung-yueng
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Ki Sung-yueng (; ; born 24 January 1989) is a South Korean professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
central midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
or a
defensive midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
for the
K League 1 The K League 1 () is a professional association football league in South Korea and the highest level of the South Korean football league system. The league is contested by twelve clubs. It is one of the most successful leagues in the Asian Foo ...
club
FC Seoul FC Seoul () is a South Korean professional Association football, football club based in Seoul that competes in the K League 1, the top flight of Football in South Korea, South Korean football. The club is owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS G ...
. From 2008 to 2019, Ki was a full international for
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, gaining 110 caps. He was selected in their squads for three World Cups, leading them as captain in the 2018 edition in Russia, and participated in three Asian Cups, finishing as runner-up in the 2015 edition. He has also played at two Olympic Games with his country, winning bronze in
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
. On 20 May 2015, Ki was voted
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
's Player of the Year as he scored eight goals in 33 appearances, with whom he also won the
EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
in 2013. He has also won the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
and the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
.


Early life

Ki started his football career at Suncheon Jungang Elementary School Football Club, and later joined Gwangyang Jecheol Middle School. In 2001, he went to
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Australia, to study at John Paul College under the BSP (Brain Soccer Program) overseen by
Jeff Hopkins Jeffrey Hopkins (born 14 April 1964) is a former Welsh international football defender and current Melbourne Victory Women head coach, who most notably played club football for Fulham and Reading in the Football League. Club career Hopkins s ...
. His father saw the move as an opportunity for Ki to combine his athletic and academic pursuits as well as to learn English. Ki played his youth football for the school team and was part of the team that won the 2004 Bill Turner Cup, the national inter-school under-15 soccer competition. In 2005, he received offers from South Korean club
FC Seoul FC Seoul () is a South Korean professional Association football, football club based in Seoul that competes in the K League 1, the top flight of Football in South Korea, South Korean football. The club is owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS G ...
and
A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...
club
Queensland Roar Brisbane Roar Football Club is a professional Association football, soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland. competing in Australia's premier men's competition, A-League Men, which is the top tier Australia's Australian soccer league system ...
, but decided to move back to South Korea to continue his education and career. After moving back to South Korea, Ki attended Kumho High School where he graduated in 2006.


Club career


FC Seoul

Ki returned to South Korea and joined
FC Seoul FC Seoul () is a South Korean professional Association football, football club based in Seoul that competes in the K League 1, the top flight of Football in South Korea, South Korean football. The club is owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS G ...
, where he played alongside national teammate
Lee Chung-yong Lee Chung-yong (; ; born 2 July 1988) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a winger for K League 1 club Ulsan HD and is a South Korean international. He is nicknamed "Blue Dragon", which is a literal translation of his given name "Chun ...
. He was an unused substitute in the last match of the 2006 League Cup. Under
Şenol Güneş Şenol Güneş (, born 1 June 1952) is a Turkish football manager and former player who is currently the director of professional football for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor. His most notable managerial achievements to date include coaching the T ...
, he made his senior debut in the
K League K League () is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2. Clubs competing in the K League have won a record total of twelve AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions ...
on 4 March 2007, in a match against
Daegu FC Daegu FC () is a South Korean professional football club based in Daegu. The club was founded as a community club at the end of 2002, and made their K League 1 debut in 2003. Daegu has played mostly in the K League 1 but was relegated at the ...
. During the 2008 season, Ki reinforced his position as a key player of FC Seoul. On 29 October 2008, Ki scored the winning goal against Seoul's biggest rivals
Suwon Samsung Bluewings The Suwon Samsung Bluewings () are a South Korean Association football, football club based in Suwon that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won the K League on four occas ...
in the 92nd minute. Ki performed a "Kangaroo Ceremony", which he claims to be an imitation of
Emmanuel Adebayor Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (; born 26 February 1984) is a Togolese former professional footballer who played as a striker. During his career, he played for English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, as well as ...
's ceremony, but Suwon fans have argued that this was imitation of 'chicken', which is what many Seoul fans call Suwon. He led the team to an unprecedented K League runners-up position with four goals and one assist in 21 appearances. In FC Seoul's first K League match of the 2009 season, Ki scored one goal in the 6–1 defeat of
Chunnam Dragons The Jeonnam Dragons () are a South Korean professional football club based in the city of Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. The Dragons play their home matches at the Gw ...
. There was increasing speculation regarding a high-profile move abroad, with suitors including PSV,
Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), or HSV (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its Association football, football department. Though the current HSV was founde ...
and
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, among others.


Celtic

On 25 August 2009, it was revealed that contact between
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
and FC Seoul had occurred regarding the possibility of Ki's transfer to the
Parkhead Parkhead () is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet (place), hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necro ...
club. However, the player's agent stated an immediate move would be unlikely given Seoul's success in the league and the
Asian Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious cl ...
. Yet, three days later, Celtic clinched a £2.1 million transfer for Ki. He linked up with the Parkhead side in the January transfer window at the end of the K-League season. The signing was confirmed on 13 December 2009 after Ki passed a medical and secured a
work permit A work permit or work visa is the permission to take a job within a foreign country. The foreign country where someone seeks to obtain a work permit for is also known as the "country of work", as opposed to the "country of origin" where someone ho ...
. Ki reportedly turned down an offer from English club
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, then of the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
. He took the number 18 with "Ki" on his shirt. He made his debut for Celtic in a 1–1 draw against
Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
at Celtic Park on 16 January 2010, winning the ''Man of the Match'' award from the official Celtic website. He played a further four matches for Celtic that season, but struggled to make much impact in what was a period of upheaval for the club. Ki barely played for Celtic in the first month of season 2010–11, but came off the bench to score his first competitive goal for Celtic on 22 August 2010 with a shot from 25 yards in a 4–0 victory against St Mirren in the
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
(SPL). By the end of October he had become a first team regular and was voted the SPL Young Player of the Month for October 2010. However, on 30 October 2010, Ki found himself the recipient of apparent racist abuse during a league match away at
St Johnstone St Johnstone Football Club is a professional association football club in Perth, Scotland. The team competes in the , the second division of Scottish football. The club's name is derived from St John's Toun (or Saint Johnstoun)—an old name o ...
. A section of the St Johnstone support were heard making barking noises – "woofing" – at Ki as he took a corner kick. Chants of " Who ate all the dogs?" were also heard from the home fans throughout the match. Ki scored his second goal of the season in a 2–2 draw with Inverness Thistle at Celtic Park. On 26 December 2010, Ki scored against St Johnstone in a 2–0 victory in the SPL, in what was his last match for Celtic before travelling to Qatar to play for South Korea in the
2011 AFC Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the 15th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Qatar from 7 to 29 January 2011. It was the secon ...
in January. On returning to Scotland in February, Ki returned to the Celtic first team for the 2–2 draw against
Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...
in a Scottish Cup tie at
Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Scottish Premiership team Rangers, Ibrox is the third-largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated ca ...
. Celtic played a significant part of the match with only ten men after goalkeeper
Fraser Forster Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
was sent off, but the midfield – including Ki – won praise for the manner in which they dominated the match in the second half. Ki also played in the replay at Celtic Park, an ill-tempered match which Celtic won 1–0. On 21 May 2011, Ki scored the first goal of Celtic's
Scottish Cup Final The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Scottish Cup, is a knockout cup competition in Scottish football. Organised by the Scottish Football Association, it is the third oldest existing football competition in the wo ...
win against
Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
with a left-footed strike from around 35 yards. He also won the official Man of the Match award. Ki started the 2011–12 campaign in Celtic's opening match against Hibernian in the SPL. Scoring the second goal in a 2–0 victory, a 25-yard left foot strike into the right hand bottom corner and also won the ''Man of the Match'' award from the official Celtic website. He impressed Celtic manager
Neil Lennon Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He currently manages Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic. During his playing career he represe ...
so much in the Hibernian match that he said: Ki then went on to score another goal on 13 August 2011 in the SPL in a 5–1 win over
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
at
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
, a strike into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the box. A couple of days later, it was reported that
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
sides
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
,
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
and several clubs from the
Russian Premier League The Russian Premier League (RPL; , ''Rossiyskaya premyer-liga''; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is a professional association football league in Russia and the highest level of the Russian football league system. It was establis ...
were interested in signing Ki. The next day, Celtic issued a "hands-off warning" to the interested clubs, saying it would take a bid of significant proportions for Celtic to allow the increasingly important midfielder to leave the club. On 10 September 2011, Ki again impressed against Motherwell, this time in the SPL with a superb strike from outside the box with his right foot. Celtic went on to win the match 4–0. On 29 September, he started in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian side
Udinese Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
, scoring from a penalty after three minutes. On 18 December 2011, he scored the second goal of the match as Celtic defeated St Johnstone 2–0 at
McDiarmid Park McDiarmid Park is a stadium in Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland, used mainly for association football. It has been the home ground of Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone F.C., St Johnstone since its opening in 1989. The stadium has an All-seat ...
in the SPL. Over the course of the 2011–12 campaign, Ki scored seven goals and had six assists, playing a key role in helping Celtic win the Scottish title.


Swansea City

On 24 August 2012, Ki transferred to
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
for around £6 million on a three-year contract, which was Swansea's record transfer fee until it was later broken by
Wilfried Bony Wilfried Guemiand Bony (born 10 December 1988) is an Ivorian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Having begun his career at Issia Wazy, Bony moved to AC Sparta Prague, Spa ...
. Ki made his debut for ''the Swans'' in a 3–1 victory against
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
in the second round of the League Cup at
Liberty Stadium The Swansea.com Stadium (; formerly Liberty Stadium) is an all-seated multi-use sports stadium and conferencing venue located in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales, hosting both rugby union and football. The stadium opened in 2005 and was name ...
on 28 August. Wearing the number 24 shirt, Ki started as a central midfielder and was substituted off in the 76th minute. Ki enjoyed a promising debut season in the Premier League. Although he failed to replicate the scoring form he displayed at Celtic, his passing style drew praise from supporters and critics, and he finished the season with 38 appearances in all competitions. On 24 February 2013, Swansea City competed in the final of the League Cup. Ki played for over an hour in the final in an unfamiliar central defensive role. The tactical switch proved to be a success, as Swansea ran out comfortable 5–0 winners against
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander. The club was founded in 1903 and ...
as Ki won his first trophy with the Welsh club.


Loan to Sunderland

On 31 August 2013, Ki joined
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
on a season-long loan with a mid-season re-call option. He scored his first goal for Sunderland on 17 December 2013 in a 2–1 League Cup quarter-final win over Chelsea, cutting inside
Ashley Cole Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is considered by many critics and fellow professional players as one of the ...
then beating goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer Mark Schwarzer ( , ; born 6 October 1972) is an Australian former professional football player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He represented Australia men's national soccer team, Australia at international level ...
with a low shot in the 119th minute for the winning goal. On 26 December, he scored his second for Sunderland in a 1–0 away win over Everton. Everton goalkeeper
Tim Howard Timothy Matthew Howard (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He is the part-owner of club Dagenham & Redbridge as well as an international ambassador in the United States for Premie ...
played a short pass to
Leon Osman Leon Osman (born 17 May 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent almost all of his career at Everton, making 433 appearances and scoring 57 goals. Earlier in his career he spent time on loan at Foo ...
who was robbed of the ball by Ki. Howard brought Ki down and was sent off, and Ki converted the
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
himself to give ''the Black Cats'' a vital win. It was Ki's first league goal. Ki's third goal for Sunderland came in a 4–1 away win at
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
from a well-worked set piece by Adam Johnson. On 22 January 2014, Ki reached his second consecutive League Cup final as he helped Sunderland defeat
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
2–1 on penalty kicks after the two-legged semi-final had finished level on aggregate, with Ki and Marcos Alonso scoring Sunderland's penalties. Ki played against
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in the League Cup final on 2 March, but despite leading 1–0 at half-time, they were overpowered by City in the second half, eventually losing 3–1. Sunderland spent most of the Premier League season in the relegation zone, but Ki played his part in their recovery, even playing on despite suffering
tendonitis Tendinopathy is a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tenn ...
in his knee for several months. He played his last match for Sunderland on 10 April 2014. Sunderland succeeded in avoiding relegation, and eventually finished 14th.


Return to Swansea

Ki returned to Swansea for the start of the
2014–15 Premier League The 2014–15 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the ...
season, stating, "This is my third season in the Premier League, and I want to grow as a player and improve to help the team." He scored the first goal of the season in a 2–1 win over Manchester United at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
on 16 August 2014. On 28 August, he signed a new contract to last until 2018. Ki became a regular in the team under new manager
Garry Monk Garry Alan Monk (born 6 March 1979) is an English football manager and former professional player who was most recently the head coach of club Cambridge United. Monk, a centre back, began his playing career with Torquay United before joining ...
, and by the end of December, had started in every Premier League fixture. Ki did not play for Swansea during January 2015 as he was away on international duty with South Korea at the Asian Cup. On his return in February 2015, he went straight back in to the team and scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland. Swansea lost their next match 2–0 against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
, but ten days later, the team recorded their second win of the season over Manchester United with Ki scoring their equalising goal in a 2–1 win. Ki played 28 times during the
2015–16 Premier League The 2015–16 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the ...
season, scoring twice. His first of the season on Boxing Day against West Bromwich Albion in an eventual 1–0 win, and the second on 8 May 2016 against
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. He made three less appearances in the
2016–17 Premier League The 2016–17 Premier League was the 25th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 118th season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
where, which the club struggled in for the majority of the season, Swansea narrowly avoided relegation, but the player did not score in that campaign. In the
2017–18 Premier League The 2017–18 Premier League was the 26th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the 119th season of top-flight English football overall. The season ...
season, it was another struggle for the club. Ki scored twice in two home fixtures within a month, the first against
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 18 February 2018 and the second against
West Ham West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...
. After that, it looked like the club was comfortable in mid-table, however with not much impact in the attacking point of view, the club struggled and Ki could not prevent them from Premier League relegation which was confirmed on the final day. After the relegation, Ki announced his departure shortly after the season finished.


Newcastle United

On 29 June 2018, Ki signed a two-year deal with
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
after the expiration of his Swansea City contract, thus reuniting with former midfield partner
Jonjo Shelvey Jonjo Shelvey (born 27 February 1992) is an English professional footballer who most recently played as a central midfielder for EFL Championship club Burnley. Shelvey began his career at Charlton Athletic, becoming their youngest-ever player ...
. Manager
Rafa Benitez Rafa is a masculine given name, mostly as a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Rafael. It may refer to: People * Rafael Nadal (born 1986), Spanish tennis player * Rafa (footballer, born 1985), Spanish footballer Rafael López Gómez * Rafael Ben ...
gave Ki his first start for Newcastle on 26 August against Chelsea and the following weekend against Manchester City, both resulting in 2–1 defeats. Benitez would then not select Ki for the next five games, invoking the player's "lack of mobility". He came on as a substitute to replace the injured Shelvey against
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
on 3 November and provided the game winning assist as his free kick was headed in by
Ayoze Pérez Ayoze Pérez Gutiérrez (born 29 July 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for La Liga club Villarreal and the Spain national team. Pérez began his career at hometown club CD Tenerife, ...
to secure a 1–0 victory for Newcastle, their first league win of the season. From then on, he was part of Newcastle's march out of the relegation zone, jumping from bottom of the table to 15th by Christmas. His good form was halted as the South Korean had to join his national team to take part in the
AFC Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second-oldest c ...
in the
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
. After coming back to his club in the end of January 2019 with an achilles injury sustained in a match against the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, Ki announced he would retire from his international duties to fully focus on his club career. During his absence, local youngster Sean Longstaff impressed and took over the starting spot in midfield alongside
Isaac Hayden Isaac Scot Hayden (born 22 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for EFL Championship club Portsmouth, on loan from Premier League club Newcastle United. Born in England, he plays for the Ja ...
. Ki's game time became sporadic, the South Korean starting six out of the eleven remaining league games, and completing 90 minutes only twice. Despite Newcastle securing safety in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, manager Rafa Benitez refused to extend his contract and was replaced by
Steve Bruce Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He is currently the head coa ...
. Under Bruce, Ki was given very little opportunities, making only three league appearances in the 2019–20 season, two of which coming off the bench. Up until January, Ki would rarely feature on the team sheet, moreover illness and a knock sustained in training in December furthered hindered his chances to play. His final appearance for Newcastle, an
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
game against
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
on 4 January 2020, ended in a 1–1 draw. Bruce and Newcastle allowed Ki to ponder his options in search of more game time during the winter
transfer window In association football, a transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club, club can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club. Such a Transfer (association football), transfer is comp ...
, and on 31 January 2020, he left the club by mutual consent.


Mallorca

On 25 February 2020, Ki joined
RCD Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (, , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or RCD Mallorca, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Palma de Mallorca, ...
for the remaining of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
, with the Balearic club engaged in a relegation battle from the Spanish top tier. He made his
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
debut on 7 March, replacing
Takefusa Kubo Takefusa Kubo (born 4 June 2001), commonly known as Take Kubo, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right winger for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Japan national team. He has been dubbed "Japanese Messi" by Japanese footba ...
in the last fifteen minutes of a vital 2–1 away win against
Eibar Eibar (, ) is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Euskadi. It is the capital of the '' eskualde / comarca'' of Debabarrena. Eibar has 27,138 inhabitants ( Eustat, 2018). Its chief industry is ...
, thus becoming the first Korean player to wear the shirt of Los Bermellones. His spell in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, however, was put to an abrupt end after the emergence of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, with La Liga being put on hold for three months, and as the league resumed in early June, Ki was unable to train with his team-mates having sustained an ankle injury. He left Mallorca five days before the expiring of his contract, having made only one appearance.


Return to FC Seoul

After spending eleven years in Europe, Ki agreed to return to FC Seoul and signed a contract until 2023 on 21 July 2020. It was reported that Ki and Seoul had already held talks in January that year about a possible come back to South Korea after the midfielder terminated his contract with Newcastle, but negotiations fell off as Ki accused Seoul of negotiating in bad faith. At the time of his signing, the club was sitting in eleventh place out of twelve teams halfway through the 2020 K League season. He made his return for the club on 30 August 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 away defeat to league leaders
Ulsan Hyundai Ulsan HD FC (), formerly Ulsan Hyundai FC, is a South Korean professional football club based in Ulsan that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in 1983 as Hyundai Horang-i, they joined the K League in 198 ...
. Caretaker manager
Kim Ho-young Kim Ho-young may refer to: * Kim Ho-young (footballer) * Kim Ho-young (actor) {{hndis, Kim, Ho-young ...
would then give Ki time to regain fitness by bringing him off the bench the three following games, and his impact on the team was quickly praised for providing more stability in FC Seoul's midfield. However, on 16 September, Ki suffered another setback in a 1–0 loss against
Incheon United Incheon United FC () is a South Korean professional football club based in Incheon that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in 2003, the club is a so-called "community club", with the government of the ...
, sustaining a hamstring injury. After FC Seoul ultimately managed to remain in the division, Ki was promoted
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of his club for the
2021 season 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
. He started the new campaign in impressive fashion, greatly contributing in FC Seoul's four wins in the opening six games. He scored decisive goals in three consecutive games which Seoul won by a single-goal margin, including a last-minute winner against Incheon United on 13 March. On 12 April, he was voted the EA Sports Player of the Month for these performances.


International career

On the international stage, Ki has played in the 2007 U-20 World Cup and for the
South Korea national team South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...
as well as the South Korea under-23 team. On 7 June 2008, he made his international debut in a
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oc ...
match against
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
. On 1 June 2010, Ki was picked in the 23-man South Korea squad for the
2010 World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
finals. On 12 June, Ki played in South Korea's first match of the World Cup, against
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Ki played a part in all three group matches and assisted twice in two different matches against Greece and
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
which helped him and his country get through to the knockout stages of the competition. On 20 December 2011, Ki (along with
Ji So-yun Ji So-yun (, ; born 21 February 1991) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the South Korea national team. Club career Ji started her career in Jap ...
of Kobe INAC Japan) was awarded the South Korean Player of the Year award. The decision was announced by the Korean Football Association (KFA) based on his international and club performance in the SPL. In the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, Ki scored the fifth and vital penalty for South Korea in their quarter-final match against Great Britain, allowing South Korea to progress to the semi-finals. South Korea lost 3–0 to
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
in the semi-final, but defeated
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
2–0 in the third-place play-off to win the
bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...
. Ki was selected for the South Korea squad for the
2014 World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
in Brazil. He played in all three matches as Korea were eliminated at the group stage after one draw and two defeats. Following the World Cup, Ki was made captain of the national team by new coach
Uli Stielike Ulrich "Uli" Stielike (born 15 November 1954) is a German former footballer and manager. Usually a central midfielder or sweeper, Stielike was well known for his stamina and footballing intelligence.Radnedge, Keir. (2004). The Complete Encyclop ...
. Ki also played for South Korea in the
2015 Asian Cup The 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the 16th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Australia from 9 to 31 January 2015. The tournament was ...
during January, helping his country reach the final against hosts
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. He provided the assist for
Son Heung-min Son Heung-min (; born 8 July 1992) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability ...
to tie the final at 1–1 and force extra time, but the Australians scored again during the extra 30 minutes to win 2–1. Ki captained for South Korea in the
2018 World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in l ...
and played the first two matches before missing the last group stage match against
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
due to a left calf injury suffered against
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
Son Heung-min Son Heung-min (; born 8 July 1992) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability ...
took the captain's armband in Ki's place. Ki retired from international duties after his country's game against
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
in the
2019 Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (or commonly called the Asian Cup 2019) was the 17th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international association football, football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ...
. South Korea won the match 1–0, though Ki was substituted after suffering a hamstring injury mid-game.


Personal life


Family and marriage

His father, Ki Young-ok, was general manager of
Gwangju FC Gwangju FC () is a South Korean professional football club based in Gwangju that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. They joined the K League in the 2011 season. History Gwangju FC was founded in December 2010, b ...
between 2015 and 2019. He resigned from his position in December 2019, citing "deteriorating health" after four years at the club without receiving any salary. The club, who faced financial difficulties, managed to climb to the country's top tier under his tenure but failed to establish itself in the
K League K League () is South Korea's professional football league. It includes the first division K League 1 and the second division K League 2. Clubs competing in the K League have won a record total of twelve AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions ...
. Ki confirmed in March 2013 that he was dating actress Han Hye-jin, and announced their engagement in May 2013. The couple filed their marriage registration on 25 June 2013, and wed on 1 July at the Intercontinental Hotel Seoul. Both are devout
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
. They have a daughter, born on 13 September 2015.


Controversies

On 25 January 2011, during the
2011 AFC Asian Cup The 2011 AFC Asian Cup was the 15th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Qatar from 7 to 29 January 2011. It was the secon ...
semi-final match between Japan and South Korea, Ki scored the opening goal through a
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
. Ki created a controversy by celebrating his goal by scratching his cheek in front of a pitch-side camera in an allegedly racist slur at Japanese people. Asian Cup tournament director Tokuaki Suzuki said no action would be taken on part of the AFC and that
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
has not contacted the AFC regarding the matter. In the summer of 2013, it was widely reported Ki had previously insulted then-South Korea national team manager Choi Kang-hee on his Facebook page before and after the match against
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
in February 2012. Ki wrote, "Now everyone should have realised the value of the players who play overseas. eshould have left us alone, otherwise, ewill be hurt." Ki later apologised for his "mischievous and inappropriate remarks" and his father visited the KFA to apologise as well. On 24 February 2021, Ki was accused of sexual and physical assault by two former elementary school teammates. Those allegations emerged in a context of accusations of bullying against professional basketball and volleyball players in South Korea, including twin sisters Lee Da-yeong and Lee Jae-yeong who were suspended indefinitely by their teams, and
Park Sang-ha Park Sang-ha (; born 4 April 1986 in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province) is a South Korean volleyball player. He currently plays as a middle blocker for the Daejeon Samsung Fire Bluefangs. Career Clubs Park was selected fifth overall by the W ...
who announced his retirement soon after. Although the press release detailing the accusations did not name Ki as a perpetrator, it described a "star player who recently joined a club in the greater Seoul area", and the acts took place while in sixth grade of elementary school at South Jeolla Province in the year 2000. Ki, along with another player, allegedly forced the victims to perform sexual acts on them between January and June 2000. Ki, first via his agency C2 Global and then on social media, categorically denied the accusations stating "he had no connection whatsoever" to the case and threatened to take legal action.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ki goal.''


Honours

Celtic *
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
: 2011–12 *
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
*
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
runner-up: 2011–12 Swansea City *
Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
:
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
Sunderland *
Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
runner-up: 2013–14 FC Seoul *
Korean FA Cup The Korea Cup (), formerly the Korean FA Cup, is a national Association football, football cup knockout competition of South Korea, held annually by the Korea Football Association (KFA). Before the competition was established in 1996, two simil ...
runner-up:
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
South Korea U20 *
AFC Youth Championship The AFC U-20 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC Youth Championship and AFC U-19 Championship, is a biennial international association football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's under-20 national teams ...
third place:
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
South Korea U23 *
Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...
bronze medal:
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
South Korea *
AFC Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second-oldest c ...
runner-up:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
Individual * K League 1 Best XI:
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
,
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
* K League Players' Player of the Year:
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
* K League All-Star: 2009 * AFC Youth Player of the Year: 2009 * Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month: October 2010 * Korean FA Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2016 * Korean FA Fans' Player of the Year: 2011, 2012 *AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
Player of the Season: 2014–15 *K League Player of the Month: March 2021


See also

*
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps In association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official appearance for their national team. This article lists all men's football players who have played in 100 or more official internat ...


References


External links


Ki Sung-yueng – National Team Stats
at KFA * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ki, Sung-Yueng 1989 births Living people Footballers from Gwangju Men's association football midfielders South Korean men's footballers South Korean expatriate men's footballers South Korea men's youth international footballers South Korea men's under-20 international footballers South Korea men's under-23 international footballers South Korea men's international footballers FC Seoul players Celtic F.C. players Swansea City A.F.C. players Sunderland A.F.C. players Newcastle United F.C. players RCD Mallorca players K League 1 players Scottish Premier League players Premier League players La Liga players Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2011 AFC Asian Cup players Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics 2014 FIFA World Cup players 2015 AFC Asian Cup players 2018 FIFA World Cup players Olympic footballers for South Korea Olympic medalists in football Olympic bronze medalists for South Korea South Korean emigrants to Australia South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Scotland South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Wales South Korean expatriate sportspeople in England South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland Expatriate men's footballers in Wales Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics South Korean Christians Asian Young Footballer of the Year winners Haengju Ki clan FIFA Men's Century Club 2019 AFC Asian Cup players People educated at John Paul College (Brisbane) 21st-century South Korean sportsmen