By Yunghyang Nam Kim = South Korean national soccer team forward Hwang Ui-jo, who has shown his desire to return to Europe, plans to discuss his future with English Premier League (EPL) club Nottingham Forest.
Hwang started and played until the end of the match in FC Seoul’s Hana One Q K League 2023 Round 19 away match against Suwon Samsung at Suwon World Cup Stadium on Thursday, helping the club to a 1-0 victory카지노사이트.
Playing up front, Hwang failed to score a goal for the third consecutive league match, but he rattled the Suwon defense with his movement throughout the match.
It was Hwang’s last K League game for Seoul.
Hwang, who played for Bordeaux in French professional soccer, moved to Nottingham last summer and was immediately loaned to Olympiakos in the Greek league.
However, his performance declined as he failed to establish himself at Olympiacos, and he lost his starting spot to Cho Kyu-sung (Jeonbuk) after failing to score a single goal at the Qatar 2022 World Cup last year.
After a prolonged slump, Hwang signed a six-month loan deal with Seoul earlier this year, returning to the K League after a six-year absence since 2017 when he played for Seongnam FC.
With four league goals for Seoul, Hwang didn’t score as many goals as expected, but he added weight to the front line and played a big role in helping Seoul stay in contention for the top half of the table.
After the game, Hwang said, “I’m very happy. We won when we needed to win. I’m very happy to get three valuable points away from home.”
Hwang, whose loan deal with Seoul expires on June 30, plans to return to the European stage.
“I’m talking to Nottingham,” he said. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll have to think about it after my contract with Seoul ends,” he said.
On the same day, Seoul coach Ahn Ik-soo repeatedly expressed his hope that Hwang would stay, and when asked for a final greeting, he said, “I don’t think I’ll go, so I’ll do it next time,” leaving a meaningful comment.
In response, Hwang Ui-jo laughed, saying, “The coach says that in training as a joke,” and added, “I’ll do it now.”
“They might say, ‘We’re not getting anywhere with Nottingham, so we’re going to look at other teams. Then it can take time to find another team. Then there might be an opportunity to play in Seoul,” he said.
“I played six months in Korea, which is a full season. Now it’s pre-season (in Europe), and if I have to find another team, there’s a chance I’ll stay in Korea,” he added.
Na Sang-ho and other Seoul teammates also hoped Hwang would stay.
“After the game, (Kim) Ju-sung asked me to stay for six more months,” Hwang said, adding, “I’m very grateful to the players. They helped me regain my confidence.”
Despite playing his last game for Seoul, Hwang will still be a Seoul player until June 30.
“I’m not sure if I should ask the coach to give me a vacation because I’m sleepy,” he said. “If things go well with Nottingham for a week, I might have to leave soon, so I’ll have to think about whether to train or take a vacation.”
Hwang said his six months in Seoul helped him grow as a player.
“I had a tough time for the first time in my soccer career, but I grew from it and became a good player once again,” he said. “I received a lot of love when I came to Seoul that I didn’t deserve. I had good teammates, good managers, coaches, and staff who loved me so generously,” he said.
“Above all, the fans in Seoul came to every game, both home and away. I was also grateful to be able to interview them in Korean.”
Hwang Ui-jo, who found his groove by playing consistently in Seoul, said, “I have many memories of the Super Match that we won at home, and I also remember the game in Daegu where many fans came. I was happy in every game,” he recalled.
“I remember all the goals I scored in Seoul, but in Incheon and Pohang, I scored goals with my favorite routes and found confidence through them. I personally remember those goals.”
Of course, Hwang hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of staying in the K League.