By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
A miserable English football career looks to be winding down for South Korean forward Lee Dong-gook, whose legacy in Middlesbrough will be defined by his permanent blank stare, opened mouth and paucity of goals.
Talking with the British media, Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admitted that Lee was no longer part of his future plans and may have played his last game for the club.
``Obviously he (Lee) hasn't been in the first-team squad for a little while," Southgate told the Evening Gazette.
``I think it's been difficult for him in that I think he has not played as well as we might have hoped. But I think he has become a bit of a figure for getting a lot of stick and it's very difficult, especially at home, when I put him on."
``For him and for the team, I think it's been better to involve other players really."
It would be a stretch to describe Lee as the main reason for Middlesbrough's mediocre campaign, as a spotty Jeremie Alidiere and Turkish enforcer Tuncay Sanli represent the only above-average talents among a collectively muted striker bunch.
Still, in his limited appearances, Lee managed to make his ineptitude on the pitch so glaringly evident, solidifying his spot among the English Premier League's most ineffective employees, that it speaks volumes to Southgate's patience that he didn't bail out earlier.
After arriving at Riverside 18 months ago, Lee scored only twice in FA and Carling Cup games and has not featured in the Boro squad since the team's home win over Fulham on Feb. 9.
It is certainly not the way Lee had hoped for things to pan out, as the former South Korea international expected the departures of Mark Viduka and Yakubu Ayegbini to provide him more play time.
However, his anonymous performances in 14 league matches this season ended up doubling as an eulogy from European football.
For South Korean football fans who had their share of broken promises, Lee has to be a leading candidate for the most frustrating player of the decade.
Lee, who rose to national stardom representing South Korea in the 1998 World Cup as a 19-year-old, once established himself among the country's top footballers with his prolific scoring rate at the international level.
However, with his growth slowed by a myriad of injuries and a questionable work ethic, Lee at 29 resembles little of the youngster who was praised for his fluid skills, superb positioning and composure in front of the net.
Lee's international career was also in doubt after being disciplined for going on late-night drinking sessions with his teammates during the Asian Cup last July.
The incident, which resulted in the involved players being banned from international matches for a year, might have been a blessing in disguise for South Korean football as it at least prevented Lee from donning his country's colors based on reputation rather than production.
Lee is not the only South Korean being pushed down in English football. Tottenham defender Lee Young-pyo looks likely to leave the club at the season's end after failing to impress new Spurs coach Juande Ramos.
Fulham attacker Seol Ki-hyeon, once regarded for his pace and accurate crosses, is now a shell of his former self, frustrating coaches and teammates with his tedious hogging of the ball, rarely accomplishing anything meaningful.
Recent West Bromwich Albion signee Kim Doo-hyun has yet impress his new team.
The only positive performance comes from Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, who is a sparkplug off the bench for the league's first-place team and garnering acclaim for his industrious play and uncanny ability to exploit the seams.