Ki Sung-yong Achieves Milestone of 500 Professional Appearances in K-League Career

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[골닷컴, 상암] Reporter Kim Hyeong-joong = Ki Sung-yong, a living legend of professional football K League 1 FC Seoul, has achieved a record of 500 appearances in his professional career.

Ki Sung-yong started in the home game against Suwon FC in the 22nd round of Hana One Q K League 1 2023 at 7:30 pm on the 12th at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Ki Sung-yueng, who has played 499 professional games so far, will play his 500th professional game with his appearance on this day.

Ki Sung-yong, who joined Seoul at the age of 17 in 2006, made his professional debut in earnest in the 2007 season the following year. Ki Sung-yueng, who played 93 matches in all competitions in a Seoul uniform until 2009, moved to Celtic, a prestigious Scottish club, and played 87 matches until 2012.

In the summer of 2012, Ki Sung-yueng, who won the league and cup championships in Scotland, moved to the English Premier League, the stage of his dreams, and wore a Swansea uniform. He played 196 matches for 6 years, including a year on loan at Sunderland, and from 2018 to 2020 he recorded 23 appearances for Newcastle United.

Before the spread of Corona 19 in 2020, Ki Sung-yong, who played one game in Mallorca in Spanish La Liga, returned to his home team, K-League Seoul. He played a key role as a central player in charge of Seoul’s midfield every season, and by starting the game that day, he set a milestone of 500 appearances in his professional career.

In the match, Seoul defeated Suwon FC 7-2. It was the record for the most goals in a single game in club history. Na Sang-ho and Kim Shin-jin scored multiple goals, while Kim Joo-sung, Willian, and Kim Kyung-min added one goal each.

Ki Seong-yong, who attended the interview with the distinguished player after the game and met with reporters, said, “I am satisfied with scoring many goals at home and creating a good atmosphere. It was a meaningful game, and I am glad that it helped the team.” He continued, “I knew (of the 500 games) two weeks ago. Time passes quickly and it seems futile. It is an honor to be able to play 500 games.”

The most memorable match was his professional debut match. He recalled, “Coach Gunes gave me a chance from winter training. He ran without thinking.” In that match held in 2007, Seoul met Daegu and won 2-0.

The following is the full text of Ki Sung-yueng’s press conference.

Q. How do you feel about the game?

The team has been disappointing over the past few games, but I am happy that they scored a lot at home and the players put a good mood back. It was a meaningful match for me personally, but I am happy that I was able to help the team in some small way. But there is still a long way to go. There are many games left, and we need to prepare well to enter our goal of Final A.

Q. When did you know the record of 500 games?

I found out about 2 weeks ago. I didn’t think anything special, but it seems pointless that the time passed quickly. I first debuted in 2007, but time has already passed and I am honored to be able to play 500 games in the same place. The playground remains the same, but I think I have changed a lot, so I have various thoughts.

Q. What is the most memorable match?

Many matches are memorable, but the first professional match was the most nervous and I think about it a lot. At the time, he never imagined that he would be able to play in the game at such a young age, but coach Gunes gave him many opportunities during winter training. It was his debut before his opening match, but I was very nervous and I still can’t forget the excitement of taking my first steps in his professional career. I have many good memories in England, but the K-League debut against Daegu is the most memorable.

Q. Who helped you the most when you were nervous?

At that time, when I was younger, senior seniors like Lee Eul-yong, Lee Min-seong, Kim Han-yoon, and Kim Byung-ji all eased my tension a lot. Senior Kim Jin-kyu, who is now the coach of FC Seoul, was also not in Seoul at the time, but he gave me strength. Although I was in the same class, Chung Yong-i, who debuted before me, also told me a lot about his experiences. My memory is hazy at that time. I was very nervous and I played for a big team called Seoul, and I won 2-0. The seniors supported me a lot, and I ran around without thinking.

Q. Did you talk with Lee Chung-yong and Koo Ja-cheol about the 500th game?

I didn’t tell my friends. I think you will be contacted when the article goes out. They always play together in the K-League, but they are precious friends. Even though we have no choice but to meet as opposing teams and play matches, each match is a precious memory. It was always like that in the national team, but even now we ask each other how they are and help each other. I don’t know how long we’ll be playing together in the K-League, but I hope we’ll have a lot of good memories until the day we end up together.

Q. How much more do you think you will run in the future?

In fact, I didn’t set a target. The team takes precedence over setting goals. A team should do better than individual goals. Every game is precious because I always think about quitting if I am not contributing to the team. Rather than setting a big goal, an upcoming game is more important. My family wants to play soccer for a long time, but personally, motivation is important, and I am preparing for the end considering the team performance and how helpful it is to the team. I think it is meaningful to have come a long way of 500 games. In the future, I plan to set my goals little by little considering the situation.

Q. What motivates you the most right now?

Right now, I don’t have many personal goals. I don’t have a goal that I personally want to achieve or receive an award for. FC Seoul has been in a difficult situation with bad results for several years, but this year, the second goal is to go to Final A and when that goal is achieved, go to the AFC Champions League. But it’s not just one goal, it’s the goal of all players. As I get older, it is difficult to do something alone. When I was young, I led the team and served as the pillar of the team, but now I need someone’s help. I enjoy being with my teammates, and there are many good players in Seoul, so I have a strong desire to achieve my goals this year with them.

Q. What does the team called Seoul mean to you?

This is a professional team. Because I received that opportunity, I was able to become a national team player and advance overseas. Even if I don’t say anything, people around me know how special I think of Seoul and that I’m doing my best. This is the most valuable team in my career. That’s why I feel responsible when my grades aren’t good. So this year, I really want to go to Final A with a different look. Now that I’m older, I feel more precious about this team, and I think my desire to achieve my goals has grown stronger than when I was younger.

Q. What is your body care know-how?

I don’t think it’s easy to be a soccer player because I’ve gotten older and suffered a lot of injuries. I receive a lot of treatment, watch a lot of soccer, do gyrotonic, and do a lot of things. There is no life because I focus here. It’s a bit difficult because I don’t have time to enjoy my hobbies, but I invest a lot of time because I still like soccer. So I came to this place. I’m not 100% satisfied, but I’ve come this far by taking care of myself thoroughly, so I think I need to take better care of my body in the future. As you get older, your body will inevitably fall off. So, while managing well, I pay more attention to everything from one to ten.

Q. What do you want to say to yourself?

In the past, I worked really hard, but now when I work hard, my body is overtaxed and I feel sad that I can’t do it as much as I used to. Now, rather than trying as hard as I did when I was young, I am maintaining and maintaining my game. That’s why there are times when I can’t participate in training more than younger players, and there are times when young players are supervised. so i’m sorry Players may think that I am playing, but during that time, I am diligently managing and treating them. I don’t know how long it will be, but I want to be a player who helps the team without injury until the end. Someday, the time will come when I will resign from this position, but until then, my biggest wish is that FC Seoul will finish something beautifully in a good way.

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2023-07-12 15:41:55

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