Lee Chung-Yong

This is a Korean name; the family name is Lee.

Lee Chung-Yong
이청용
李靑龍

Personal information
Full name	Lee Chung-Yong
Date of birth	2 July 1988 (1988-07-02) (age 23)
Place of birth	Seoul, South Korea
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [1]
Playing position	Right winger
Club information
Current club	Bolton Wanderers
Number	27
Youth career
2004–2005	FC Seoul
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2009	FC Seoul	54	(11)
2009–	Bolton Wanderers	65	(7)
National team‡
2005–2006	South Korea U-17	6	(6)
2006–2007	South Korea U-20	18	(1)
2007–2008	South Korea U-23	7	(0)
2008–	South Korea	40	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 August 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 June 2011

Lee Chung-Yong
Hangul	이청용
Hanja	李靑龍[2]
Revised Romanization	I Cheong-Yong
McCune–Reischauer	Yi Ch'ŏng'yong

Lee Chung-Yong (Hangul: 이청용; born 2 July 1988) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Premier League club Bolton Wanderers and the South Korean national team. His nickname, Blue Dragon, is a transliteration of his given name "Chung-Yong" derived from Hanja, 청용(靑龍). Lee is widely regarded as one of the top young South Korean footballing prospects.

In January 2009, Lee was named as one of the top 50 rising stars in football by the British daily newspaper, The Times.^[3]

Club career

Lee Chung-Yong's football career started at the age of 11.^[4] Although considered to have started too late by some, his enormous talent was evident and his reputation grew among the Seoul youth football development community.

FC Seoul

In 2003, Anyang LG Cheetahs, currently FC Seoul in its modern incarnation, then manager Cho Kwang-Rae began focusing on developing a youth academy within the team. Lee, who, at the time, was attending Dobong Middle School caught the eye of a scout and manager Cho decided to attend his match. After the first half, he was certain Lee had a massive potential, and decided to sign him on the spot. Subsequently, Lee dropped out of the school and joined FC Seoul. Dropping out of middle school could mean a lot later in his life since Korea does not draft middle school dropouts for its military. For the next several years, Lee honed his skills in the FC Seoul reserves along with close friend and international teammate Ki Sung-Yong.^[5]

In 2007, Şenol Güneş, famous for coaching the 3rd placed Turkey national squad in the 2002 World Cup, joined FC Seoul as manager. After watching Ki Sung-Yueng and Lee Chung-Yong carefully, he recognized both players' significant abilities and aimed to use them as important elements in the FC Seoul senior first-team. That season, Lee Chung-Yong began to break into the first team, playing in 15 league matches and scoring 3 goals.

The following year, in 2008, he cemented his place as a regular for FC Seoul, playing 22 league matches, scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists. Both he and Ki Sung-Yong won many domestic league fans for their exciting link-up play and terrific individual qualities so much so that they were both given the affectionate moniker "Ssang Yong" or "Double Dragon", a play on their given names.

In the 2009 season, Lee continued his rampant form and he completed a hat-trick of assists in the opening game of the season against Chunnam Dragons on 7 March 2009. On 4 April 2009, he scored the winning goal in a match against Seoul's fierce rival, Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Bolton Wanderers

FC Seoul confirmed that Lee Chung-Yong had agreed a deal to join Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. A statement from FC Seoul said: "The contract will be signed officially after a work permit is issued." On 29 July 2009, it was announced that he had been granted a work permit allowing him to complete a £2.2m transfer from FC Seoul. He had already agreed personal terms on a three-year contract with Bolton the previous week and also underwent a successful medical.^[6] The transfer was officially confirmed on the 14th of August 2009, Lee was reported as stating "I am looking forward to this new chapter in my career and cannot wait to play my first game for my new club."^[7] With Gary Megson's dismissal in December 2009, he became his last full signing for the club.

He made his first Bolton appearance on 15 August 2009 when coming on as a substitute for Gavin McCann in the 1–0 defeat against Sunderland at the Reebok Stadium and scored his first goal, the winning goal of the match in a 2–1 victory against Birmingham City on 26 September.^[8] He was named Man of the Match in the match against Tottenham Hotspur, providing teammate Ricardo Gardner with an assist. As a result of these good performances, Lee was named in the ESPN Soccernet Team of the Week twice in a row. His terrific form for his rookie season continued weeks later, after the international break, as he assisted Ivan Klasnic's first goal in the 3–3 draw against Manchester City at the Reebok Stadium. He was consequently named 'Man of the Match' by Sky Sports for his significant attacking presence and dribbling prowess: "The South Korean was a constant thorn in City's side and looks to be a real find for Gary Megson." ^[9]

At the end of his first season, Lee won a triumvirate of awards including Bolton Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, and best newcomer awards.^[10] There was interest from Liverpool after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but Lee stated that it was likely that he would remain at Bolton for the 2010–11 Premier League,^[11] and on 25 November he signed an extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2013.^[12]

During a pre-season friendly against Newport County on 30 July 2011, Lee suffered a broken leg after a challenge from Tom Miller. It was initially reported that the injury would rule Lee out for a minimum of nine months,^[13] but by early September, Bolton were hopeful that the player would return by early 2012.^[14]

International career

Lee's international career started as part of the South Korea national under-20 football team in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Despite impressing against quality opposition including USA, Pato-led Brazil, and Poland, South Korea failed to make the cut for the next round. His individual performances, however, were enough to impress many neutrals and rumored to have caught the eye of many European scouts.

After his U-20 tenure, Lee Chung-Yong was part of the unsuccessful 2008 Beijing Olympics U-23 national team. His first under-23 match was against Syria in Damascus, October 17, 2007.

On May 31, 2008, Lee was given his national team debut by manager Huh Jung-Moo in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification match against Jordan. He would score his first national team goal against the same team in the return leg at home on September 5, 2008 in Seoul World Cup Stadium. Lee Chung-Yong was one of the most consistent and important players in South Korea's successful seventh consecutive qualification for the World Cup and eighth overall, an Asian record.

On June 17, 2010, Lee scored an injury time goal in the first half against Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[15] Lee scored again in the round of 16 match against Uruguay in South Korea's 2–1 defeat.^[16] He was named in the top 10 rising stars of the 2010 FIFA World Cup by Sports Illustrated.^[17]

Club career statistics

As of 8 May 2011

Club	Season	League			FA Cup			League Cup			Continental			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
FC Seoul	2006	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	-	-	-	4	0	1
	2007	15	3	1	2	0	0	8	0	5	-	-	-	25	3	6
	2008	22	5	6	1	0	0	3	1	0	-	-	-	26	6	6
	2009	15	3	4	2	0	0	1	0	0	5	0	3	23	3	7
	Total	54	11	11	5	0	0	14	1	6	5	0	3	78	12	20
Bolton Wanderers	2009–10	34	4	6	4	1	1	2	0	1	-	-	-	40	5	8
	2010–11	31	3	8	4	1	0	1	0	0	-	-	-	36	4	8
	2011-12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	0	0	0
	Total	65	7	14	8	2	1	3	0	1	-	-	-	76	9	16
Career total		119	18	24	13	2	1	17	1	7	5	0	3	153	21	36

Honours

Club

FC Seoul

• K-League Cup (1): 2006

Individual

• K-League Cup Top Assister : 2007
• K-League Best XI : 2008
• Bolton Player of the Year : 2010
• Bolton Players' Player of the Year : 2010
• Bolton Best Newcomer Award : 2010
• North West Premier League Player of the Year : 2009–10

International statistics

International caps

Statistics correct as of matches played 25 March 2011

Year	International Competition			Friendlies			Total			Notes
	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	Assists
2008	5	0	3	3	2	1	8	2	4	2010 WCQ (AFC)
2009	5	0	1	6	0	4	11	0	5	2010 WCQ (AFC)
2010	4	2	0	8	1	0	12	3	0	2010 WC
2011	6	0	1	1	0	0	7	0	1	2011 AC
Total	20	2	5	18	3	5	38	5	10

International goals

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	September 5, 2008	Seoul	Jordan	1–0	1–0	Friendly match
2.	November 14, 2008	Doha	Qatar	1–0	1–1	Friendly match
3.	May 16, 2010	Seoul	Ecuador	2–0	2–0	Friendly match
4.	June 17, 2010	Johannesburg	Argentina	1–2	1–4	2010 FIFA World Cup
5.	June 26, 2010	Port Elizabeth	Uruguay	1–1	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup

Personal life

Lee and his girlfriend attended the same middle school. Lee dislikes drinking and smoking, and even refrains from drinking coffee. He currently spends 2–3 hours a day studying English and also attends English classes.^[18] Since moving to the UK, Lee has developed a closer friendship with his national team captain Park Ji-Sung who plays for local rivals Manchester United.^[19] Lee is known to Bolton team-mates as "Chungy." ^[20]

References

1. ^ "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. http://www.premierleague.com/page/PlayerProfile/0,,12306~48368,00.html. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
2. ^ "(Korean) 월드컵 허정무호 젊은 '쌍룡', 이란 격파 선봉에". NEWSIS. 2009-01-20. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=001&oid=003&aid=0002486727. 
3. ^ Dart, Tom (2009-01-12). "Football's top 50 rising stars". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article5502827.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2. Retrieved 7 May 2010. 
4. ^ "(Korean) 한국 축구, 이제 이청용의 시대다". sportalkorea. 2010-06-23. http://www.sportalkorea.com/news/view.php?gisa_uniq=20100623141625&section_code=10&key=&field=. 
5. ^ "(Korean) 태극전사 라이프 스토리② 이청용“딱 10분 보니 큰 일낼 놈이다 싶었죠”…“가족은 나의 힘” 이청용, 가족사진 공개". The Dong-a Ilbo. 2010-05-27. http://news.donga.com/3//20100527/28634394/1. 
6. ^ Nakrani, Sachin (2009-07-22). "Bolton to complete Lee Chungyong signing". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/29/lee-chung-yong-bolton-wanderers1. Retrieved 2009-07-29. 
7. ^ "Lee Chung-Yong Deal Complete". Bolton Wanderers Football Club. 2009-08-14. http://www.bwfc.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1727825,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
8. ^ Shaw, Phil (27 September 2009). "Birmingham City 1 Bolton Wanderers 2: match report". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/birminghamcity/6234124/Birmingham-City-1-Bolton-Wanderers-2-match-report.html. Retrieved 7 May 2010. ^{[dead link]}
9. ^ "Honours even in Reebok thriller". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19762,11065_3150321,00.html. 
10. ^ http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/bolton/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/10/05/10/SOCCER_Bolton_Awards.html&TEAMHD=bolton&DIV=prem&TEAM=BOLTON--WANDERERS&RH=Bolton--Wanderers&PREV_SEASON=
11. ^ "Lee set for new Bolton deal". Sky Sports. 2010-09-09. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6366058,00.html. 
12. ^ Iles, Mark (25 November 2010). "Chung-Yong signs new Wanderers deal". The Bolton News (Manchester). http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/wanderersnews/8688007.Chung_Yong_signs_new_Wanderers_deal/. Retrieved 25 November 2010. 
13. ^ "Chung-Yong Injury Update". bwfc.co.uk. 30 July 2011. http://www.bwfc.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~2406137,00.html?. Retrieved 30 July 2011. 
14. ^ "Chung-Yong Lee hopes for early Wanderers return". Bolton News. 6 September 2011. http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/wanderersnews/9230744.Chung_Yong_Lee_hopes_for_early_Wanderers_return/. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
15. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (2010-06-17). "Argentina 4–1 South Korea". BBC Sport (BBC). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_18/default.stm. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
16. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (26 June 2010). "Uruguay 2–1 South Korea". BBC Sport (BBC). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_49/default.stm. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
17. ^ Chang, Jen (2010-07-10). "Ozil and Coentrao among players whose stock rose at the World Cup". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/writers/jen_chang/07/10/10.stock/index.html. 
18. ^ "(Korean) 이청용 "1년 사귄 중학교 동창 여친 큰 힘 돼"". Sports Seoul. 2009-10-12. http://www.sportsseoul.com/news2/soccer/general/2009/1012/20091012101020300000000_7522989160.html. 
19. ^ http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/128135/Chung-Yong-Lee-can-t-wait-for-Ji-Sung-Park-clash/
20. ^ "Spice boys cook up a storm". The Sun (United Kingdom). 2010-03-27. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2909468/Spice-boys-cook-up-a-storm.html. 

External links

• Bolton Wanderers Team Profiles Chung-Yong Lee
• K-League Player Record (Korean)
• National Team Player Record (Korean)
• FIFA Player Statistics
• Club & Country Statistics
• Profile from Soccerbase
• Premier League profile

Persondata
Name	Lee, Chung-Yong
Alternative names	이청용 (Hangul)
Short description	South Korean association footballer
Date of birth	2 July 1988
Place of birth	Seoul, South Korea
Date of death
Place of death