Um Ji-seong, Second Chapter of my Football Life Begins

Um Ji-seong Goes to Swansea City "The Second Chapter of my Football Life Begins"

"Swansea is not a team that plays 'fake football'... We will adapt as we learned in Gwangju"

Uhm Ji-seong, a striker born in 2002 and heading to Swansea City, an English professional football team, vowed to successfully adapt, saying that the 'second chapter of his football life' is about to begin.

Uhm Ji-seong boarded a flight to England at Incheon International Airport on the 11th to complete the procedures for joining Swansea City, an English Championship (second division) team.

Um Ji-seong met with Yonhap News before leaving the country and said, "If Gwangju FC was my first step in football, Swansea City is my second start. 안전놀이터

They explained how they would use me and gave me trust."

He added, "I think it will feel real once I arrive.

"I will try to do everything I can to adapt quickly," he said.

"I have a timid personality, but in order to survive, I will approach my teammates first and change my behavior."

Since Gwangju, his former team, has agreed to a transfer with Swansea City, once the medical test and other follow-up procedures are completed, Uhm Ji-seong will become the second Korean player to play for Swansea City, following Ki Sung-yueng (Seoul).

Uhm Ji-seong, who graduated from Gwangju's youth team Kumho High School, was called up to the professional stage in 2021 and has been responsible for creative attack development while moving between the front and the second line.

He can play as a midfielder, winger, and striker, so he is very versatile.

In his first year as a pro, he appeared in 37 games and recorded 4 goals and 1 assist

In 2022, he scored 9 goals and 1 assist in 28 games, helping Gwangju win the K League 2 and be promoted to the first division.

Under the direction of Gwangju manager Lee Jung-hyo, Uhm Ji-seong was selected for the 2022 K League 2 Best 11 and won the Young Player Award, and helped Gwangju achieve third place in the 1st division, the highest ranking in the club's history, in the 2023 season.

Uhm Ji-seong said, "I saw an article saying that Swansea City was interested in me.

After that, I heard a video conference explaining directly how they would utilize me, such as using me as a winger in a 4-3-3 formation, and my desire to go grew bigger," and "I didn't want to miss this opportunity."

Coach Lee Jung-hyo, who has been with Uhm Ji-seong through thick and thin, originally didn't want to let go of his key player, but changed his mind after confirming the player's sincerity.

Uhm Ji-seong said, "I could go abroad and grow more, or I might not.

But I told him that if I didn't go this time, I would have regrets in my football career and would end my playing career, and they said they would let me go."

He added, "I learned everything about football and other aspects from Coach Lee Jung-hyo for three years.

That's why I'm confident."

He continued, "Swansea City is not a team that plays 'fake football' without tactics.

They are an organized team, so the experience I learned in Gwangju will be of great help."

Uhm Ji-sung said that he learned from coach Lee Jung-hyo how important it is to implement the play that the coach demands.

He said, "I learned what the team wants and what kind of performance I should show on the field.

I will quickly figure this out and adapt to it at Swansea City."

Uhm Ji-sung's new team, Swansea City, is led by coach Luke Williams.

In the 2023-2024 season of the Championship, they finished 14th with 15 wins, 12 draws, and 19 losses.

Uhm Ji-sung is confident that Gwangju's performance will not decline even if he is absent.

He said, "Gwangju is a place where anyone can fill my role.

That's why we had good results (last season), so I have no worries."

He also emphasized, "Gwangju is everything to me in my football career.

The reason I got this great opportunity is because of the good coach, coaching staff, mayor, CEO, and fans."

Uhm Ji-sung said that he wants to succeed in England, if only for the Gwangju he left behind.

His immediate goal is to improve his skills to the level of Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton).

Um Ji-seong said, "I'm a player who can beat one player in a 1-on-1 situation and then shoot or cross," and explained, "I want to learn from Son Heung-min's two-footed shooting and Hwang Hee-chan's aggressive breakthrough."