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Ji Dong-won, a 20-year-old forward for K-League side Chunnam Dragons, is set to become the youngest South Korean player in the Premier League, with Sunderland.
Ji’s rise, however, is ironically attributed to his failure in England in 2007. He joined the youth team of Reading FC, now a second division club, but returned home less than a year later.
Ji moved to Reading in August, 2007 after being selected by the Korea Football Association (KFA), at a time when the nation’s football governing body helped players go to train in European leagues’ youth programs.
While the 1.86-meter tall forward has distinguished himself here, in England he fell behind his teammates, especially those with European or African-roots, in terms of strength. The South Korean only made four youth team appearances in the 2007-08 season. All four came from late in the season, of which he only started once.
Ji’s return home in June, 2008 was in stark contrast with South Korean teammate, Nam Tae-hee. Nam remained in the program and received several offers from European clubs, eventually making his professional debut with France’s Valenciennes FC in 2009. Both Ji and Nam, 19, are currently members of South Korea’s senior squad. Ji also plays for the nation Olympic team currently competing for a berth at the 2012 London Olympics.
He made his professional debut in the K-League in 2010 with Chunnam. He netted eight goals in 26 league games was was the runner-up for the league’s rookie of the year honors.
He raised his reputation further in January at the Asian Cup hosted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). While some feared he was unsuited to the lone-striker role in the team’s formation, he scored four goals, helping lift Korea to third-place in the tournament.
Ji’s six goals in 11 international caps began to attract attention from overseas, including Sunderland. Other clubs including Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven have also been keeping tabs on the striker.
If the 20-year-old passes a medical at Sunderland he would become the eighth South Korean to play in the English league.
South Korea first saw its first Premier League player when Park Ji-sung signed for Manchester United in July, 2005. Lee Young-pyo, now playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, followed Park’s lead in August the same year by signing a deal with Tottemham Hotspur.
Seol Ki-hyun, Lee Dong-gook, Kim Doo-hyun, and Cho Won-hee all spent time in the Premier League until Bolton Wanderers midfielder Lee Chung-yong became South Korea’s last arrival in England in 2009. The Bolton right winger made his debut at age 21, but Ji is set to become the youngest South Korean to play in the English league.
Among the seven, only Park Ji-sung and Lee Chung-yong remain in the Premier League. Ji will face stiff competition for a starting spot, and will have to work hard if he wants to survive long enough for a chance to emulate Park or Lee Chung-yong.
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