New and improved Hwang Ui-jo is ready to return to Europe

Home > Sports > Football

print dictionary print

New and improved Hwang Ui-jo is ready to return to Europe

Hwang Ui-jo poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at GS Champions Park in Guri, Gyeonggi, on May 10. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Hwang Ui-jo poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at GS Champions Park in Guri, Gyeonggi, on May 10. [JOONGANG ILBO]

 
Hwang Ui-jo is keen to return to Europe where he has unfinished business with Nottingham Forest — the Premier League club that bought him last summer and immediately sent him out on the road, first on loan to Olympiacos and then to FC Seoul.
 
With Hwang's six-month loan to Seoul set to expire on June 30, the seasoned striker is keeping a close eye on how Nottingham Forest are doing and whether he is likely to get any playing time upon his return.
 
"Nottingham won yesterday, so the point gap is not too big," Hwang said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on May 10, a day after Nottingham Forest beat Southampton 4-3. "I do watch the highlights and check the results."
 
Nottingham Forest sit in 16th place on the 20-team table as of May 14, out of the relegation zone but not out of danger.
 
Hwang refuses to comment on the club's chances over the last few weeks of the season.
 
Having made his European debut with Bordeaux in 2019 and quickly became a regular starter, scoring 29 goals across three seasons with the club and earning top scorer honors.
 
But while things were going well for Hwang, Bordeaux were struggling with serious financial issues and ended up finishing at the bottom of the table and declaring bankruptcy at the end of the 2021-22 season. With Bordeaux facing possible double relegation, Hwang was traded to Nottingham and immediately loaned to Greek club Olympiacos.
 
Despite his success in France, Hwang failed to score a single goal in Greece and quickly disappeared from the roster.  
 
Hwang then returned to Korea on a six-month loan to FC Seoul, where he has been displaying a solid performance, at least according to manager An Ik-soo.
 
Hwang has recorded two goals and one assist so far in the 2023 K League season, but he has been playing a key role in An's build-up and has been active in defensive involvement. While Hwang has faced some criticism throughout his career for playing too far out front in a purely striker role, An has pushed him into a more traditional midfield position.
 
"Hwang is playing a role that is equal to scoring 15 goals," An said.
 
Hwang also appears to like the change in his role.
 
"If I was just selfish, I would just attempt to score goals in the front, but it is more important to create chances through my moves and lead my team to victory," Hwang said.
 
The 30-year-old could have moved to Minnesota United in the U.S. Major League Soccer league but rejected the deal.
 
"The conditions they offered were better than those from Europe," Hwang said. "My steps got tangled after spending three seasons with Bordeaux, but I wanted to elevate my fitness and go for a challenge that I can show it again.
 
"I went to Europe at a relatively older age [27], but I have a vision."
 
During his time with Bordeaux, Hwang competed with Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
 
"All three players had the ability to be persistent when there is a slight chance to score, and I managed to learn that," Hwang said.
 
Hwang has always been keen to play in the Premier League, which is why he is learning English to this day. He even opted to learn English instead of French when he made his debut with Bordeaux.
 
"I still take English tutoring lessons twice a week," Hwang said. "I have one scheduled after this interview. [Na] Sang-ho also studies English hard."
 
Hwang is set to leave FC Seoul at the end of June, but his next destination remains unclear as Nottingham Forest could loan him elsewhere before the 2023-24 season.
 
His objective with the Korean national team, on the other hand, is clear as he looks to win the AFC Asian Cup next January.
 
"I will prepare well for it as we missed the opportunity to win the event in 2019," Hwang said.
 
Korea crashed out of the 2019 Asian Cup after losing to Qatar in the quarterfinals.
 
The Taeguk Warriors will face Malaysia, Jordan and Bahrain in Group E of the 2023 Asian Cup.

BY PARK RIN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)