‘Golden Boy’ Lee Kang-in (22-Paris Saint-Germain) will go for gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This will be the first Asian Games of his career after a successful career with the national team at every age group.
Lee is still recovering from a recent quadriceps injury in the PSG clubhouse and hasn’t made the squad yet. However, he had an option to be called up for the Asian Games in his contract when he joined PSG.
The only question is whether he can recover from his injury quickly enough to join the squad as early as coach Hwang Sun-hong would like, and the exact timing will be determined on the 13th.
Lee Kang-in, who has been one of the “National Prospects” of Korean soccer since his childhood through “Fly and Shoot Doll,” is now a big name that the national team is desperate to find ahead of the Asian Games.
Lee became the first South Korean player to win the Golden Ball at the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup, where he led his country to a runner-up finish, earning him the nickname Golden Boy, and played a key role at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He has also become an integral part of the current South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann.
In the meantime, his club career has also ‘leveled up’. After impressive performances at Valencia and Mallorca (Spain), Lee moved to PSG, one of Europe’s biggest clubs, before the start of this season, where he was a regular starter until an injury knocked him out.
Lee is expected to play a key role in Hwang Sun-hong’s squad. His influence will be huge, as the team’s style and strength will be different with or without him.
With his accurate kicking and breakaway power, Hwang hopes Lee will be a key player in the midfield.
With Lee’s dominance in the second line and the support of the likes of Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart), Hong Hyun-seok (Ghent), and Uhm Won-sang (Ulsan), we can expect a good picture.
This gold medal attempt will have a special meaning for Lee as it will be his first career victory. As mentioned, Lee has had a colorful career, including a Golden Ball, but he has yet to experience the pinnacle.
In 2018-19, when he was playing for Valencia, the team won the Copa del Rey, but Lee didn’t play in the tournament because he was called up to the national team. At the U20 World Cup, the team failed to make it over the final hurdle and finished as runners-up, and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. 온라인바카라
As such, Lee will be looking to help his team win a third consecutive gold medal, as well as his first gold medal and first title.
Lee, who plays in the European leagues, is also motivated by the military service benefits that come with winning a gold medal.
Previously, seniors such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Hwang In-beom (Zvezda) were able to continue their performances on the European stage after winning gold at the Asian Games. The younger Lee Kang-in could have an easier time of it if he wins gold at the Games and is not restricted by military service.
The ‘Golden Boy’ is ready to soar even higher with a gold medal.