It's been a good Korea move for Chung-Yong
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Cheer up, sleepy Lee ... it's been a good Korea move for Bolton forward Chung-Yong
Happy Wanderer: Bolton's clever but quiet South Korean star Chung-Yong Lee
Brought into the Barclays Premier League at short notice and stuck on the bench after a 12-hour flight from South Korea, Chung-Yong Lee did what any jet-lagged young man might do in those tense final moments before making his first appearance in English football. He fell asleep.
Lee can laugh about it now. He can smile as he recalls his first touch as a Bolton player, stumbling over the ball and landing flat on his face after waking up to be told he was going on as a substitute against Sunderland on the first day of the season, less than 48 hours after arriving in England.
'That's the first time I've ever fallen over the ball but I couldn't control my body, to be honest with you,' he says through an interpreter at Bolton's training ground. 'I was really sleepy so I don't know how I played that game. I didn't expect to be selected because of jet lag and I was very surprised to be told I was going on. I'd fallen asleep on the bench.
'I arrived from Seoul close to midnight on the Thursday and our manager at the time, Gary Megson, was waiting for me at the hotel. I was deeply moved by his actions so I did my best for him.'
Although Lee's best may have not been good enough on that occasion, he has certainly made an impact since then. The latest of seven South Koreans to play in the Premier League, the 21-year-old from Seoul is already proving himself to be one of the best.
He might not look the part; shy by nature and surprisingly lightweight, he does not come across as a professional athlete. But this is the rising star of Korean football, set to land a lucrative deal with Nike that will see him replace Ji-Sung Park as the face of their national team in World Cup year.
Lee: Doing his talking on the pitch
The interpreter may be among the minority of Koreans who are still not familiar with the man they call Blue Dragon - a translation of Chung-Yong - but his wife has accompanied him to the interview clutching some fan mail from their daughter.
It is not often Lee upstages Park. Certainly not on the occasions they have got together at the Manchester United winger's home in Cheshire since the youngster joined Bolton on a three-year contract from Seoul FC for £2.2m last summer.
'We have a meal together, talk a lot and play video games together,' says Lee. 'Our favourite game is Pro Evolution Soccer. Ji-Sung Park plays Manchester United and I play Bolton. Up to now, he has won a lot!
'I always wanted to be like him and play in the Premier League, so it's a privilege to be around him. He gives me bits of advice and has also told me where all the best Korean shops are in Manchester.'
On some days, Lee will sit at home and study DVDs of himself in action. He is not as robust as Park to withstand the rigours of Barclays Premier League football and believes it is the best way of learning to evade the challenges.
'I have to compete somehow because I'm not stronger than them,' he says. 'I play back DVDs and try to study challenges against me to beat them next time.
'It's a very demanding league and it's necessary to have a good body. But to have a good body does not mean that you can play football well. The most important thing is to have a football brain. That has been proved by the best players around the world. My stamina and body are quite OK.'
Adapting: Chung-Yong Lee admits he is having to think about his game in a bid to beat the Premier League's more robust challengers and avoid injury
It is a philosophical attitude he also took to his move to Bolton. FC Seoul encouraged what was a prestigious transfer for Korean football but there was an element of risk in changing countries and cultures so close to the World Cup. Lee doesn't see it that way.
'I don't worry because I like being challenged,' he says. 'If I succeed, that's good. If I fail, to everyone else it might be a failure in my life, but I don't look at it as a failure. I see it as an experience.
'Everything seems to be hard when you take a negative attitude as a foreign player. But I take a positive attitude.'
Lee has earned a reputation as a deep thinker at Bolton. Megson summed up what proved to be the last of his signings before making way for Owen Coyle in January by saying: 'He looks like he's 14 and he's got a lot of stature to gain, but he's a really brainy player.'
It was an ironic description considering Lee dropped out of middle school in Korea to pursue his football career and risk accusations of cowardice because it meant he could not carry out his military service.
He said: 'I was young and just wanted to be a footballer. I wasn't interested in anything else.
'It's often regarded as unmanly behaviour if you do not serve as a soldier. As I grew up, I realised it can be a very serious matter for football players in South Korea because everybody has to serve. There is no escape. But I could focus on a football career.'
Lee admits to feeling lonely at times since he moved to England. His long-term girlfriend has stayed at home to study and his parents can only get enough time away from the family sewing business to visit him every three months.
He has enjoyed some memorable moments in England, not least the sublime back-heel to help set up an equaliser against Tottenham in October. But nothing comes close to matching the first of his five goals, a late winner against Birmingham on only his third top-flight appearance for Bolton, when his parents were sat in the stands.
'That was the happiest moment in my life,' he says. 'It was my first goal in the Premier League and in front of my parents as well, so I was really happy.
'I don't have any friends visiting me. Because I'm adjusting to the British culture, I've found it very exciting. Sometimes it can be a bit boring but I think it suits my personality because I'm quite shy.
'Even though I sometimes miss Korea, it's not as though I want to go back there.'
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this fellow is good
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more skillful than park
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Originally posted by DemonFox:
more skillful than park
I've to agree on this. Park relies on his never ending stamina to get behind defenders and lacked composure in front of goal whereas Lee is tricky down the flanks and scores quite a few goals.
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yeah good player. better than park. park in front of goal can somehow fluff shots.
cant score goals for team and cant be a game changer, unlike lee.
park only got his stamina and experience over lee now, but soon that will change.
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I don't think so... Park plays for a big club and he is always expected to perform whenever he plays whereas this fellow just does one or two good tricks once in a while and some thinks he is better already? I guess if he move to Liverpool or to a bigger club where demand and expectations are much higher, then we can see the difference. cos he will then be expected to perform every match and not once in a while or only flashes of it but week in week out. Chances are he may bot get into their first team...
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wah lau....park steady one ok. You can't disposess him and he is able to split a defence in the final third of the field.
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not better got more potential. considering his age and his recent arrival.
furthermore he has been doing reasonably well for his first season.
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I don’t think so… Park plays for a big club and he is always expected to perform whenever he plays whereas this fellow just does one or two good tricks once in a while and some thinks he is better already?
I guess if he move to Liverpool or to a bigger club where demand and expectations are much higher, then we can see the difference. cos he will then be expected to perform every match and not once in a while or only flashes of it but week in week out.
Chances are he may bot get into their first team…
Thats precisely why he's better than Park. Think about it, Bolton, languishing at the foot of the table, requires his constant performance to secure the points while looking at the number of times Park fluff his chances in front of goal and United still manages to secure the points thanks to his teammates. Lee is slowly proving to be the spark in Bolton's otherwise dull and un-creative midfield.
However, i do agree that pressure to perform is an important factor to consider but at this point of time, Lee is delivering for Bolton while Park is not for United.
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I don't think Bolton is depending on his goals... What you are saying sounds a bit strange... If languishing at bottom is more important than whats the point fighting for the top? Park may have missed a few chances but his game is not about scoring, its his workrate and overall play that he is selected. Park plays in most of the important matches for United not because he can score but I am guessing it's mainly for his workrate in the offensive part as well as the defensively areas too. And also, Park plays for a team that is watched week in week out and his every performance is magnify whereas Lee doesn't... Just last week or the one before I saw him missed a sitter on the right side from the 6 yard box but does any care? No, cos it's Bolton and people forget it very fast... I am not saying he is a bad player, I also belief he is a good one but he needs time to gain more experienced... Park has been there, done that for years even before he joint United... So he still has some way to go to be compared to Park i feel...
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Originally posted by zocoss:
I don’t think so… Park plays for a big club and he is always expected to perform whenever he plays whereas this fellow just does one or two good tricks once in a while and some thinks he is better already?
I guess if he move to Liverpool or to a bigger club where demand and expectations are much higher, then we can see the difference. cos he will then be expected to perform every match and not once in a while or only flashes of it but week in week out.
Chances are he may bot get into their first team…
i knew this way coming!
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work rate? lucas work rate is high too. so let park go bolton and use his work rate for bolton i dun tink there will be any different for bolton. Work rate and skill is two different thing. Every 1 can have work rate. but not skill work rate is jsut depend on the person wanna work hard or not. i tink any asian player go to man u will give 100% work rate.
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Maybe this guy really did a few good tricks, but as an asian, I feel he done very well in EPL already.
He is good with the ball, very much better than any other players who play week in week out. The potential is really there, lets hope his future does not get screwed~
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really lively player!!!
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He still has a long way to go in his career... Hopefully a big club will come and get him eventually if he is good enough and consistent.
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Originally posted by DemonFox:
work rate? lucas work rate is high too. so let park go bolton and use his work rate for bolton i dun tink there will be any different for bolton. Work rate and skill is two different thing. Every 1 can have work rate. but not skill work rate is jsut depend on the person wanna work hard or not. i tink any asian player go to man u will give 100% work rate.
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Err... You compare Lucas workrate with Park... lol. If you are comparing with Pool I would use Kuyt as a more better choice. Lucas, better to take Anderson or Denilson, they are more closer... lol.
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Originally posted by Y_Shun:
Maybe this guy really did a few good tricks, but as an asian, I feel he done very well in EPL already.
He is good with the ball, very much better than any other players who play week in week out. The potential is really there, lets hope his future does not get screwed~
exactly, i agree to this fully
