Ki Sung-yueng confident of good career in Premier League

As he poises to join the English Premier League, South Korean footballer Ki Sung-yueng said Thursday he is confident he will fit right in.

Reports out of Britain said Ki has agreed in principle to join Swansea City in Wales. Ki left South Korea Thursday for London, apparently to finalize his transfer from Celtic FC in Scotland, a transaction reportedly worth 5 million pounds (US$7.9 million).

"It's an honor to play in such a world class league that I've only watched on television," Ki told reporters at Incheon International Airport before boarding his flight. "The key is to make adjustments to my new environment as quickly as I can. If I can just play my game, I think I will have a good career there."

After returning home following the London Olympics, where he helped South Korea win bronze, Ki did not join Celtic for the start of the Scottish season, while his agent worked on a transfer.

Ki fell short of saying he is about to join Swansea City, although a deal with the Welsh club appears as good as done.

In an interview earlier Thursday with Scotland STV, Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins said Ki was expected to travel to Wales to finalize the deal "in the next 48 hours."

"We're very excited of the prospect of signing Ki who will be a good addition to the squad," Jenkins was quoted as saying.

Ki, 23, has been linked to other Premier League clubs over the summer, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

If the deal is finalized, Ki would become the 10th South Korean to play in the Premier League. Three South Koreans are currently playing at that level: Park Ji-sung with QPR, Park Chu-young with Arsenal and Ji Dong-won with Sunderland.

Swansea City finished 11th out of 20 teams in the English Premier League last season, its first following its promotion from the second-tier Football League Championship.

It trounced QPR 5-0 in the first game of this season last weekend, but the upstart team still lacks the pedigree of higher profile teams such as Arsenal and Liverpool.

Ki said he will stay in London "for a day or two" and will then make his final decision. He added he won't necessarily go for higher-profile clubs over others.

"Even if I play for a big club, it won't help me if I don't get to play," Ki said. "First and foremost, I will consider how much a team needs me, and how willing that team is to give me the chance to play."

Ki said he has watched Swansea City closely since last year and he likes the team's style of pass-oriented football.

"Swansea City is a very cohesive team that relies on passes, and you don't see that often in England," he said. "That's what makes the team so attractive, and I would be able to play the kind of football I want to play."

The midfielder also said he would love to be coached by Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup, a Danish player who starred in the top Spanish division in the 1980s and 1990s and won five consecutive Spanish league championships, first with Barcelona and then Real Madrid. The Danish Football Association has officially named him the greatest Danish football player of all-time.

"I would expect to learn a lot from him, since he was such an internationally renowned player," Ki said of the first-year manager. "It'd be a great experience playing for Swansea City.

Ki was an integral part of the bronze medal-winning South Korean squad in London earlier this month. The medal granted him an exemption from the mandatory military service in South Korea.

He has a full career ahead of him, with no prospect of disruption by the two-plus years of conscription. Ki said the next three years will be "the most important period of my career."

"If I develop into a better player in Premier League, then I think it will also help Korean football," he said. "I know expectations will be high. I will just go out there and try to do my best."

Ki joined FC Seoul in South Korea's K-League in 2006 and played his first professional game the following year. He joined Celtic in January 2010 and helped the team win the Scottish Premier League title last season.

A central midfielder known for his on-field vision and knack for scoring long-range goals, Ki has represented South Korea in 47 international matches and has been a fixture in the team's set pieces. He spent most of his youth career in Australia. (Yonhap)