Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho scored a screamer to mark his Korean national team debut on Thursday, calmly slotting in No. 6 in a 7-0 rout over Singapore.
Bae, along with six other new picks, are set to join the senior squad for two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June as caretaker Kim Do-hoon faces his first test.
“The 20-year-old has become a firm fans’ [favorite] during his debut campaign in red and white following his cross-continent move from Daejeon Hana Citizen,” according to a news release by Stoke City on Saturday.
How did the 20-year-old go from a bit part in a mid-table Korean team to the pride of a club with 161 years of history in England’s second tier?
Stoke City’s Bae Jun-ho played 84 minutes in his side’s 1-0 in win over Southampton on Saturday in the Championship that locks in survival from relegation to the League One.
Bae's impact for Stoke has been clear, as manager Steven Schumacher did not release him for the ongoing AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
The U-23 Korean national team lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in a closed-door friendly on Tuesday, suffering a defeat in the final tune-up game ahead of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup that begins next week.
Bae Jun-ho followed a long-overdue debut Championship goal with a worthy sequel over the weekend, scoring a huge opener for Stoke City in their 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at home.
Bae Jun-ho has grabbed the attention of Stoke City fans after the 20-year-old midfielder went two in two for the Championship side as it fights to escape the dangerous relegation zone.
Bae Jun-ho picked up his second goal in as many games on Saturday, opening the scoring for Stoke City in a 2-0 home win over Middlesbrough.
Korea JoongAng Daily Sitemap