Lee Seungwoo entered Nonsan Training Center…”I’ll be back more mature”
“I had a happy season thanks to the encouragement and support of the coach, many fellow players, and fans. I’ll do well in the training camp for three weeks and grow further and come back.”
Soccer player Lee Seungwoo (24, Suwon FC) will take off his uniform and change into a military uniform. On the afternoon of the 27th, he will enter Yeonmudae Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, and receive basic military training for three weeks.
Lee Seungwoo, who met in Suwon on the 25th, said, “A season of playing in Suwon FC uniform has passed like a dream. There are some regrets, but I’m satisfied that I’ve been on the ground as much as I want for the first time in a long time, and I did my best, he said. “I confirmed what I can do and what I have to do.” He said, “I had a happy season, so I can enter the training center with a smile.”
Lee Seung-woo is the leading player in men’s soccer at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. At the time of the final against Japan, he scored the winning goal in the third minute of the first half of extra time with the so-called “Heung-min’s Move Shoot” to win the gold medal. When Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham), who played as a “wild card” at the time, dribbled slightly longer in the process of beating defenders in the opponent’s dangerous area, Lee Seung-woo jumped in and finished with a powerful left-footed shot and shook the net. The two gold medalists also received military service benefits.
Lee Seung-woo’s season will be replaced by the keyword “resurrection.” At the end of last year, he terminated his contract with Sint-Trawidan (Belgium) and changed into Suwon FC uniform, challenging the K-League stage. Since he has not had a chance to play in his team for more than two years, many people were skeptical of the new challenge, but he has produced more than expected.
He led Suwon FC’s attack this year and played 35 games on the K League 1 stage, scoring 14 goals and three assists. He is third in scoring in the league and seventh in attack points (scoring + assist). Flamboyant dribbles, accurate shots, and unique ceremonies after scoring have been at the center of the conversation throughout the season.
Lee Seung-woo said, “I also tried not to lose my sense of play in Belgium, so I was confident that I could show something in the K League,” adding, “I was happy to prove that ‘Lee Seung-woo is alive’ to the fans who trusted and supported me.”
There were also love calls from various overseas teams. Several European teams, including Hearts (Scotland), who publicly offered to transfer during the season, as well as clubs in the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East, have expressed interest directly or indirectly. In this regard, Lee Seung-woo, who mentioned, “It is meaningful and grateful that (the transfer offer) proved competitiveness,” said, “At the end of last year, I stopped challenging the European stage and came to Suwon FC with the thought of ‘I want to play as much as I want’. “Suwon FC, which trusted and gave me a chance, is still the top priority,” he said.
The only regret is the Taegeuk mark. Although he drew a big picture of proving his competitiveness in the K League to return to the national soccer team and achieve his dream of participating in the Qatar World Cup, Paulo Bento (53, Portugal) national team coach did not call Lee Seung-woo in the end. This is why Lee Seung-woo decided to enter the training center as soon as the season was over.
Lee Seungwoo said, “It would be a lie if there was no regret, but everything is the coach’s choice and the idea that we should respect the decision is also firm,” adding, “We can’t wear uniforms and join together, but we will pray and cheer for our national team’s good performance at the Qatar World Cup.”
After three weeks of military training, Lee Seung-woo will be transferred to an art-sports agent to perform 544 hours of volunteer work. Son Heung-min, who joined the Marine Corps training center in 2020, started volunteering right after military training, but related regulations have been revised since then, and Lee Seung-woo has been doing volunteer work from time to time during this season.
Lee Seung-woo, who cut his hair short ahead of entering the training center, said, “I will faithfully perform basic military training and return as a more mature soccer player,” adding, “Three weeks will be a short but important comma in my soccer life.”
