Lee Dong-gook

Lee Dong- gook (2009)

Lee Dong- gook ( born April 29, 1979 in Pohang ) is a South Korean football player. Currently the striker for the South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors goes hunting for goals.

Since his youth Lee played in his hometown of Pohang. In a local club Pohang Steelers, he also began his career as a professional in 1998. Already in the early years of football connoisseur noticed his talent and promised him a great future. At just 19, he was part of the squad of the South Korean national team at the 1998 World Cup in France. However, at the World Tournament, he made only one use: In the first round defeat against the Netherlands ( 0:5 ), he came on in the 77th minute with the score at 0:3. He, too, could not prevent the withdrawal of his country in the group stage. But Lee could not be set back from this setback and was finally doing well in the Asian Cup 2000. After strong performances in the tournament the Bundesliga club Werder Bremen became aware of him, among other things, who arranged a lending transaction with Pohang. But in the year that he played in Bremen, he could convince her and returned to Pohang ( also due to injuries ).

Soccer World Cup 2002 in his home country, Lee was surprisingly not nominated by national coach Guus Hiddink. The reasons for the Dutchman stated that he does not prefer Lee's style of play and accused him that he would move too little and into the game. After the World Cup, he was called up for national service and spent two years playing for the military team Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix. In 2004 he returned to his tribe club Pohang back and was better than ever: Twice in a row, 2005 and 2006, Lee was top scorer in South Korea. He was considered a solid candidate for the 2006 World Cup, but withdrew shortly before the tournament to a cruciate ligament injury and therefore had to be replaced. Later that year he made his comeback in the game against Ulsan Hyundai Horang -i. In January 2007, he undertook the English first division side FC Middlesbrough. His debut in the Premier League, he celebrated on February 24, 2007, compared to Reading FC. By the end of the season 2007 /08 he came to a total of 23 games, including but included 15 substitutions. In the championship games, he remained completely without scoring, leaving England in the summer of 2008 in the direction of South Korea.