[OSEN=노진주 기자] This is not the old Hwang Hee-chan (27, Wolverhampton). He has made great progress to the point that the English Premier League (EPL) is shining a spotlight on him.
The EPL Secretariat highlighted Hwang Hee-chan’s ‘scoring pace’ this season through its official social media account on the 29th (Korean time).
The secretariat compared Hwang Hee-chan’s records from the past two seasons and this season. While Hwang Hee-chan scored 8 goals in 57 games in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons, he scored 10 goals in 19 games in the 2023-2024 season.
His skills are in full bloom in his third year in the EPL.
Hwang Hee-chan, who left RB Leipzig and moved to Wolverhampton on loan during the 2021-2022 season, transferred permanently in January 2022.
Hwang Hee-chan, who seemed to have integrated well into the team by scoring consecutive goals immediately after his transfer, suffered from frequent injuries as time went by and his position diminished. Ahead of the 2022-2023 season, there were transfer rumors with a number of clubs, including Leeds United.
However, Hwang Hee-chan is having a turning point this season. By cutting into the opponent’s net every day in the league, he contributed greatly to helping Wolverhampton, which was not far from the ‘relegation zone’, settle in 11th place in the league.
Hwang Hee-chan, who scored his first goal of the season in a game against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 14, also hit the net against Crystal Palace on September 3. He also scored a goal in the next round, against Liverpool. However, none of the three goals led to the team’s victory, leading to the saying, ‘Strangely enough, if Hwang Hee-chan scores, Wolverhampton loses.’
But this was just a coincidence.
After taking a breather in the game against Luton, Hwang Hee-chan scored another goal against Manchester City on September 30th. The team won 2-1. In no time, he rose to become Wolverhampton’s greatest jewel.
Even after that, his toes had no time to rest. Hwang Hee-chan quickly rose up the scoring rankings. He also scored one goal each against Aston Villa, Newcastle, Fulham, and Burnley, and scored multiple goals in the recent match against Brentford on the 28th, completing his tally of 10 goals.
In the game against Brentford, Wolverhampton won 4-1, making Hwang Hee-chan smile even brighter. In addition, Hwang Hee-chan, who scored his 9th and 10th league goals in the game, ranked alone in 6th place in the league scoring rankings. He is only one goal behind his teammate Son Heung-min of Tottenham (4th place, 11 goals) and four goals behind leading scorer Erling Holland of Manchester City (14 goals).
What is surprising is that Hwang Hee-chan’s total number of effective shots this season is 11. He hit 11 effective shots and scored 10 times.
Before the EPL secretariat, Wolverhampton recognized Hwang Hee-chan’s performance and even rewarded him.
Hwang Hee-chan renewed his contract with his team Wolverhampton on the 22nd. His contract runs until 2028. A one-year extension option was also included.
On the 13th, the British ‘Molineux News’, which reports news related to Wolverhampton, quoted reporter Fabricio Romano, who is familiar with the European transfer market, and reported the news of Hwang Hee-chan’s contract renewal, saying, “Currently, Wolverhampton’s highest paid player is Pablo Sarabia. 90,000 pounds (KRW) It is known that he will receive approximately 147 million won. Hwang Hee-chan will also receive the highest level of treatment in the team,” he explained.
It is known that Hwang Hee-chan receives a weekly salary of 30,000 pounds (approximately 49 million won) until his contract is renewed, and if he were to renew his contract at the highest level in the team, his weekly salary would have increased three times.
Hwang Hee-chan said, “I will not be satisfied with just a new contract. I sometimes talk with my players about ‘big ambitions’. I feel a responsibility to bring more wins. I am ready to fight for the team. I do not want to stop here.” “I want to rise to the highest level possible,” he said of the contract extension. /jinju217@osen.co.kr
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2023-12-29 11:03:45
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