Lee Dong-gook
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Lee Dong-Gook (Hangul: 이동국) (born 29 April 1979) is a South Korean association football striker who currently plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He is a record scorer in the K-League, and had brief spells in Europe with Werder Bremen and Middlesbrough.
Lee has earned 103 international caps for South Korea since 1998, scoring 33 goals. He has played at two FIFA World Cups, two CONCACAF Gold Cups, two AFC Asian Cups and the 2000 Olympics. He is well known for receiving an in-form card in FIFA Ultimate team every time the next edition of the game is set to be released.
Club career
Early career
Lee started playing football for Pohang Steelers, where due to his outstanding performance in his first season, he managed to make his debut for the South Korean national team. He was then sent on loan to Werder Bremen of Germany's Bundesliga.
During six months at Werder Bremen in 2001, Lee's playing time was limited partly due to injuries.
Lee left the Steelers in 2002 to perform his military service, joining the military team Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo. He spent two seasons there. His career recovered after he returned to Pohang in 2004.
In April 2006, Lee tore the cruciate ligaments in his knee while playing in a K-League match for the Pohang Steelers that forced him out for six months, and was unable to play in the World Cup.[1]
Middlesbrough
In January 2007, after being granted a work permit, Lee signed for English Premier League club Middlesbrough on an 18-month contract.[2] He made his debut on 24 February, coming on as an 85th minute substitute for Yakubu in the 2-1 win against Reading.[3] He scored his first goal on 29 August 2007 in a League Cup match against Northampton Town,[4] and his second in the FA Cup against Mansfield Town on 26 January 2008.[5] His contract expired at the end of the 2008 Premier League season and Middlesbrough decided not to extend his contract. He received offers from clubs in Japan and Germany.[6]
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Lee signed a contract with Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in 2008. However, he was unsuccessful, and was linked another move to several K-League and J. League clubs.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Lee was transferred to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 2009 transfer window. He scored a brace in his debut for Jeonbuk on 15 March 2009 against Daegu FC. Lee completed his second senior hat-trick on 2 May 2009 against Jeju United. On 4 July, he scored his second hat-trick of the season against Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix. He eventually became the K-League Top Scorer in 2009 K-League, scoring 20 goals in 27 league matches. He also scored one goal in the second leg of final in K-League Championship, and Jeonbuk beat Seongnam Ilhwa by 3–1 to win the first league trophy in their history.
Lee became the K-League's all-time leading scorer with 117 goals when he got two goals in the 2012 season opener against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma on 3 March 2012.[7]
International career
Lee Dong-gook participated in the AFC U-19 Championship in 1998. He played with Kim Eun-jung as two top and led South Korea to win the title. Also, Lee was the top scorer and MVP of the competition.[8]
Lee was a member of the South Korea national football team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He also took part in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup and finished top scorer with six goals.
In 2002, Lee was not chosen by Guus Hiddink to represent South Korea in 2002 World Cup. Fans called him "Lazy Genius," because they felt that he did not fully use his potential. This is also because Hiddink emphasized strong stamina, great power, and agile speed, which are the categories that Lee struggles in, except power.[9][10] He later admitted that he spent his days drinking and did not watch a single game that took place during the 2002 World Cup.[11]
Lee was coach Dick Advocaat's first-choice selection at forward for Korea ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but a knee injury suffered in a K-League match forced him to miss the tournament.[1]
On 1 November 2007 Lee was banned from the national team for twelve months after it was revealed that he, along with team captain Lee Woon-Jae, teammates Kim Sang-Sik and Woo Sung-Yong, went on a late night drinking spree with several female employees during the Asian Cup, in which Korea received third place.[12]
Unlike the other members who were involved in this incident, because Lee played for Middlesbrough in England, the KFA could not ban him from his club team matches.[13]
Lee was listed onto the South Korea national football team line up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He came on as a substitute in a game against Uruguay and nearly scored a goal but his shot lacked the power to clear the line. He played in qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup but was not listed on the final team for the tournament. After the World Cup he was recalled back to the team for a friendly match against Venezuela, where he scored a brace in a 3-1 victory, the national team's first win in nearly six months.
Current Work
Lee Dong Gook along with his five children, will appear on the Sunday variety show "The Return of Superman." [14] The show is on KBS World TV and can also be viewed on YouTube with English captions. 'The Return of Superman' shows famous Korean fathers taking care of their children for 48 hours without their wife. Lee Dong Gook will be the first on the show to have five children to take care of.[15]
Filmography
Variety shows
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–present | The Return of Superman | Himself, along with his five children (Starting from Episode 88)
Episode 88- short preview is shown of Dong-gook's family |
KBS2 |
International goals
- Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first.
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2000 | Los Angeles |  Costa Rica | 1 goal | 2–2 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 7 October 2000 | Dubai |  Australia | 1 goal | 4–2 | 2000 LG Cup |
| 19 October 2000 | Tripoli |  Indonesia | 3 goals | 3–0 | 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
| 23 October 2000 | Tripoli |  Iran | 1 goal | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
| 26 October 2000 | Beirut |  Saudi Arabia | 1 goal | 1–2 | 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
| 29 October 2000 | Beirut |  China PR | 1 goal | 1–0 | 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
| 16 September 2001 | Busan |  Nigeria | 1 goal | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 10 July 2004 | Gwangju |  Bahrain | 1 goal | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 23 July 2004 | Jinan |  United Arab Emirates | 1 goal | 2–0 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
| 27 July 2004 | Jinan |  Kuwait | 2 goals | 4–0 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
| 31 July 2004 | Jinan | Iran | 1 goal | 3–4 | 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
| 8 September 2004 | Ho Chi Minh City |  Vietnam | 1 goal | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 November 2004 | Seoul |  Maldives | 1 goal | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 December 2004 | Busan |  Germany | 1 goal | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 9 February 2005 | Seoul | Kuwait | 1 goal | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 30 March 2005 | Seoul |  Uzbekistan | 1 goal | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 June 2005 | Kuwait City | Kuwait | 1 goal | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 November 2005 | Seoul |  Serbia and Montenegro | 1 goal | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 15 February 2006 | Los Angeles |  Mexico | 1 goal | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 7 February 2010 | Tokyo |  Hong Kong | 1 goal | 5–0 | 2010 EAFF Championship |
| 14 February 2010 | Tokyo |  Japan | 1 goal | 3–1 | 2010 EAFF Championship |
| 3 March 2010 | London |  Ivory Coast | 1 goal | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 25 February 2012 | Jeonju | Uzbekistan | 2 goals | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 29 February 2012 | Seoul | Kuwait | 1 goal | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 September 2012 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan | 1 goal | 2–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 November 2012 | Hwaseong | Australia | 1 goal | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 5 September 2014 | Bucheon |  Venezuela | 2 goals | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 14 October 2014 | Seoul | Costa Rica | 1 goal | 1–3 | Friendly |
Personal life
Lee married Lee Soo-Jin, a runner up of Miss Korea 1997, in December 2005.[16] The couple has five children: twin daughters Lee Jae-si and Lee Jae-ah (born August 14, 2007), twin daughters Lee Seol-Ah and Lee Soo-Ah (born July 18, 2013) and son Lee Si-Ahn, nicknamed Daebak (born November 14, 2014). Lee is also the youngest of 3 siblings (2 brothers and 1 sister).
Lee Dong Gook and his five children are currently part of South Korean reality-variety show The Return of Superman that airs on KBS World TV.
Honours
Individual
- AFC U-19 Championship Top Scorer: 1998
- K-League Rookie of the Year: 1998
- AFC Asian Cup Top Scorer: 2000
- K-League All-Stars Soccer MVP: 1998, 2001, 2003, 2010, 2012
- K-League Top Scorer: 2009
- K-League MVP Award: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015
- K-League Top Assistor Award: 2011
- K-League Best XI: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
- AFC Champions League Top Scorer: 2011
- AFC Champions League MVP: 2011
- K League FANtastic Player: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015
Club
- FA Cup Runners-up: 2001, 2002
- Asian Club Championship Champions: 1998
- Asian Super Cup Runners-up: 1998
- Afro-Asian Club Championship Runners-up: 1998
- A3 Champions Cup Runners-up: 2005
- K League Classic Champions: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015
- FA Cup Runners-up: 2013
- AFC Champions League Champions: 2016, Runners-up: 2011
International
- AFC U-19 Championship Champions: 1998
Career statistics
Club
- As of 18 October 2016.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| South Korea | League | KFA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 1998 | Pohang Steelers | K-League | 15 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 24 | 11 | ||||
| 1999 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 8 | ||||||
| 2000 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | 8 | 4 | |||||
| Germany | League | DFB-Pokal | Other | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2000–01 | Werder Bremen | Fußball-Bundesliga | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| South Korea | League | KFA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2001 | Pohang Steelers | K-League | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | 21 | 7 | |||
| 2003 | Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo | 27 | 11 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 11 | |||
| 2004 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | - | 25 | 4 | |||
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Pohang Steelers | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | - | 27 | 7 | |||
| 2006 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 7 | |||
| England | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2006–07 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 18 | 2 | |||
| South Korea | League | KFA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2008 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | K-League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 13 | 2 | |
| 2009 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 29 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | 36 | 26 | ||
| 2010 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 40 | 17 | ||
| 2011 | 29 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 38 | 25 | ||
| 2012 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 2 | - | 6 | 4 | 48 | 32 | |||
| 2013 | 30 | 13 | 2 | 2 | - | 8 | 3 | 40 | 18 | |||
| 2014 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 3 | 40 | 16 | |||
| 2015 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 | 4 | 41 | 18 | |||
| 2016 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 5 | 35 | 15 | |||
| South Korea | Total | 402 | 176 | 25 | 13 | 34 | 14 | 55 | 32 | 516 | 235 | |
| Germany | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| England | 23 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 29 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 432 | 176 | 29 | 14 | 36 | 15 | 55 | 32 | 552 | 237 | ||
International
- As of 14 October 2014.[17]
| Korea Republic national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 10 | 8 |
| 2001 | 6 | 1 |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 10 | 8 |
| 2005 | 15 | 4 |
| 2006 | 9 | 1 |
| 2007 | 7 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 10 | 3 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 8 | 5 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 103 | 33 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 14th KBS Entertainment Awards | Best Entertainer – Entertainment Category | The Return of Superman | Won |
| Male MC Newcomer Award | Nominated | |||
References
- 1 2 "South Korea star out of World Cup". BBC Sport. 14 April 2006.
- ↑ "Middlesbrough complete Lee deal". BBC Sport. British Broadcast Corporation. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ↑ "Middlesbrough 2-1 Reading". BBC Sport. British Broadcast Corporation. 24 February 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ↑ "Middlesbrough 2–0 Northampton". BBC. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
- ↑ "Mansfield 0–2 Middlesbrough". BBC. 26 January 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
- ↑ "Trio Move On". Mfc.premiumtv.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ↑ ‘라이언킹’ 이동국, 통산 최다 골 경신… 살아있는 전설 썼다 (in Korean). hyundai-motorsfc.com. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ↑ "U-19 Championship Roll of Honour". AFC. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ↑ "Daum.net" (in Korean). News.media.daum.net. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ↑ "Daum.net" (in Korean). News.media.daum.net. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ↑ "Daum.net" (in Korean). News.media.daum.net. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ↑ "South Korea ban Boro's Dong-Gook". BBC Sport. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
- ↑ ""음주파동 4인방 형평성 '논란'" 데일리 서프라이즈". dailyseop.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
- ↑ "New Family with Two Sets of Twins Confirmed to Join "Superman Returns"!". Soompi. 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ↑ "'Superman Is Back' to add another family to the show - soccer player Lee Dong Gook and his five kids!". allkpop.com. 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ↑ 경향닷컴 (in Korean). News.khan.co.kr. 19 December 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
- ↑ Lee Dong-gook at National-Football-Teams.com
External links
- Lee Dong-gook – K League stats at kleague.com
- Lee Dong-gook – National Team Stats at KFA (Korean)
- Lee Dong-gook – FIFA competition record
- Lee Dong-gook at National-Football-Teams.com
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lee Woon-Jae |
K-League Most Valuable Player 2009 |
Succeeded by Kim Eun-Jung |
| Preceded by Kim Eun-Jung |
K-League Most Valuable Player 2011 |
Succeeded by Dejan Damjanović |
| Preceded by Dudu |
K-League Top Scorer 2009 |
Succeeded by Yoo Byung-Soo |
| Preceded by Koo Ja-Cheol |
K-League Top Assistor 2011 |
Succeeded by Mauricio Molina |
| Preceded by Shin Jin-Won |
K-League Rookie of the Year 1998 |
Succeeded by Lee Sung-Jae |
| Preceded by Saša Ognenovski |
AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player 2011 |
Succeeded by Lee Keun-Ho |
| Preceded by Jose Mota |
AFC Champions League Top Scorer 2011 |
Succeeded by Ricardo Oliveira |