‘Express winger’ Lee Dong-jun (25)’s transfer to K-League 1 (division 1) Jeonbuk Hyundai drew attention as one of the biggest issues this winter. K-League 2 (Part 2) Starting with Busan I-Park, he went through Ulsan Hyundai and joined Hertha Berlin in January of last year to challenge the German Bundesliga. After a year, he returned to the K-League wearing a Jeonbuk uniform. His trip to Jeonbuk came as a surprise because he gave a strong performance in Ulsan, Jeonbuk’s biggest rival.
Lee Dong-jun is recording 35 goals and 16 assists in 132 K-League games. He also had a lot of ‘mourning clothes’. After winning the K League 2 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best 11 in 2019, he was selected as the K League 1 Best 11 in 2021. In a word, he is a ‘proven striker’.
Using this as a stepping stone, he challenged the German stage, but it was very regrettable. Starting with the confirmation of a new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), all sorts of bad news overlapped, such as an instep fracture, adductor muscle rupture, and knee and ankle injuries. Because he lived with an injury, he was pushed out of the competition for the starting position, and 메이저놀이터 only played in 4 league games while the manager was replaced 3 times. In the meantime, he gradually distanced himself from his national team, and the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which he eagerly dreamed of, failed.
In November of last year, when a change was needed to ‘stay or leave’, it was Park Ji-seong, technical director of Jeonbuk, who visited Lee Dong-jun, who had only thought, “I want to play without getting sick.” “If you have any regrets or lingering attachments, it is right to stay in Europe. However, wherever you go, the team and manager must want you strongly. Jeonbuk is like that now,” he accepted Director Park’s sincere suggestion.
Lee Dong-jun, whom we met at a clubhouse in Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk Province on the 10th, said, “When I decided to move the team, Jeonbuk sent me a love call. I just wanted to play soccer healthy,” he said. “After deciding to return to the K-League, only Jeonbuk found me. I understand the sadness and disappointment of Ulsan fans, and I am always grateful to Ulsan, but I did not have many options.”
He is quickly adapting to Jeonbuk, which he faced as a ‘gritty enemy’ at one time. He is received with great hospitality and feels a deep sense of connection and belonging. He can’t forget the feelings he felt at the clubhouse, where numerous trophies were displayed. Lee Dong-jun said, “The championship trophy caught my eye first. Motivated. Along with the thought that I want to be the main character of the trophy, my anticipation for a new challenge has grown.” 메이저놀이터
Although he finished it a little quickly due to an injury, he stressed that his life in Germany was not in vain, although he regretted it. He said, “It was Europe that I desperately wanted, and that was also Germany. I came back quickly to a practical problem, but I would have made the same choice even if I went back to that time,” he said. “The team training was harsh. The intensity was strong, just like in real life. I was already in a bad condition, so I got injured quickly. I felt so many things. So I want to try again,” he said.
Lee Dong-jun’s goal is clear. It is ‘not getting sick’ and ‘lifting the championship trophy’. He said, “The desire of Jeonbuk players to win is great. He is also full of pride in being the best in Korea and Asia. He is now healthy without any injuries. He’ll run happily ever after. I definitely have a part to contribute to the team’s victory,” he emphasized.