Lee Dong-Gook

This is a Korean name; the family name is Lee.

Lee Dong-Gook Personal information Full name Lee Dong-Gook Date of birth 29 April 1979 (1979-04-29) Place of birth Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position Striker Club information Current club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Number 20 Youth career 1995-1998 Pohang Jecheol Technical High School Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1998–2006 Pohang Steelers 102 (33) 2000–2001 → Werder Bremen (loan) 7 (0) 2003–2005 → Gwangju Sangmu (military service) 47 (12) 2007–2008 Middlesbrough 23 (0) 2008 Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 10 (2) 2009– Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 84 (49) National team‡ 1999 South Korea U-20 13 (6) 1999–2000 South Korea U-23 27 (19) 1998– South Korea 88 (28) Honours Competitor for South Korea Men's football Asian Games Bronze 2002 Busan Team * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 February 2011 Lee Dong-Gook Hangul 이동국 Hanja 李同國 Revised Romanization I Dong-guk McCune–Reischauer I Tongguk

Lee Dong-Gook (Hangul: 이동국) (born 29 April 1979) is a South Korean football striker, who plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in K-League.

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 making a total of 71 appearances and scoring 22 goals. 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 Phoenix. He spent two seasons there. His career recovered after he returned to Pohang in 2004.

In April 2006, Lee tore 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.

Middlesbrough

Lee signed with Middlesbrough in January 2007, after he was granted a work permit. He made his Premier League debut for Middlesbrough on February 24, 2007 against Reading, and scored his first goal on August 29, 2007 in a Carling Cup match against Northampton Town, and his second in the FA Cup against Mansfield Town on 26 January 2008. His contract expired at the end of the 2008 Premier League season.

Lee did not return to his former club Pohang Steelers on transfer deadline day, and was released at the end of the season for the season 2008/09. He received offers from clubs in Japan and Germany.

Seongnam Ilhwa

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

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 July 4, 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.

International career

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. He later admitted to spending his days drinking and not watching a single game that took place in Korea.

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.

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 and 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.

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.

2010 World Cup

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 missed his last big chance to redemption. Lee had a clear chance from 16 yards on the Uruguayan keeper, but his shot lacked the power to cross the line.

Personal life

Lee married Lee Soo-Jin, a former Miss Korea of 1997, in December 2005,. On 14 August 2007, he became a father of twin girls.

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: 2003
• K-League Top Scorer: 2009
• K-League Best XI: 2009
• AFC Champions League Top Scorer: 2011

Club

Pohang Steelers

• 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

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

• K-League Champions: 2011
• AFC Champions League Runners-up: 2011

Career statistics

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		Premiere Ligapokal		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			0	0	-		17	3
2002			21	7			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	0	0	2	1	5	3	35	16
2011			27	16	1	0	0	0	6	9	34	25
Total	South Korea		242	101	9	4	34	14	11	12	296	131
	Germany		7	0	0	0	-		0	0	7	0
	England		23	0	4	1	2	1	-		29	2
Career total			272	101	13	5	36	15	11	12	332	133

South Korea 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	2	3
Total	88	28

International goals

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
February 17, 2000	Los Angeles	Costa Rica	1 goal	2-2	2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup
October 7, 2000	Dubai	Australia	1 goal	4-2	2000 LG Cup
October 19, 2000	Tripoli	Indonesia	3 goals	3-0	2000 AFC Asian Cup
October 23, 2000	Tripoli	Iran	1 goal	1-1 (2-1 a.e.t.)	2000 AFC Asian Cup
October 26, 2000	Beirut	Saudi Arabia	1 goal	1-2	2000 AFC Asian Cup
October 29, 2000	Beirut	China PR	1 goal	1-0	2000 AFC Asian Cup
September 16, 2001	Busan	Nigeria	1 goal	2-1	Friendly match
July 10, 2004	Gwangju	Bahrain	1 goal	2-0	Friendly match
July 23, 2004	Jinan	United Arab Emirates	1 goal	2-0	2004 AFC Asian Cup
July 27, 2004	Jinan	Kuwait	2 goals	4-0	2004 AFC Asian Cup
July 31, 2004	Jinan	Iran	1 goal	3-4	2004 AFC Asian Cup
September 8, 2004	Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam	1 goal	2-1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
November 17, 2004	Seoul	Maldives	1 goal	2-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
December 19, 2004	Busan	Germany	1 goal	3-1	Friendly match
February 9, 2005	Seoul	Kuwait	1 goal	2-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
March 30, 2005	Seoul	Uzbekistan	1 goal	2-1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
June 8, 2005	Kuwait City	Kuwait	1 goal	4-0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
November 16, 2005	Seoul	Serbia and Montenegro	1 goal	2-0	Friendly match
February 15, 2006	Los Angeles	Mexico	1 goal	1-0	Friendly match
February 7, 2010	Tokyo	Hong Kong	1 goal	5-0	2010 EAFF Championship
February 14, 2010	Tokyo	Japan	1 goal	3-1	2010 EAFF Championship
March 3, 2010	London	Côte d'Ivoire	1 goal	2-0	Friendly
February 25, 2012	Jeonju	Uzbekistan	2 goals	4-2	Friendly
February 29, 2012	Seoul	Kuwait	1 goal	2-0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

These references may be in Korean language

External links

• K-League Player Record (Korean)
• National Team Player Record (Korean)
• FIFA Player Statistics (English)
• Club & Country Statistics (English)

Awards
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 Yoo Byung-Soo
Preceded by Lee Woon-Jae	K-League Most Valuable Player 2011	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Kim Eun-Jung	K-League Most Valuable Player 2011	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Shin Jin-Won	K-League Rookie of the Year 1998	Succeeded by Lee Sung-Jae
Preceded by Jose Mota	AFC Champions League Top Scorer 2011	Succeeded by Incumbent