"He plays even better than I did at that age." The talent praised by Lee Chung-yong, the 17th-year-old rookie shaking up K League [Incheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I think he plays even better than I did when I was his age."

When the story of Jeonbuk Hyundai's "17-year-old prodigy" Kim Ye-geon came up, Incheon United veteran Lee Chung-yong (38) smiled and replied. This was after the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 18 match against Jeonbuk at Incheon Football Stadium on the 18th, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Jeonbuk. Although he was an opponent's player, as a senior in the football community who has left his team behind, the emergence of talent like Kim Ye-geon could only be heartening and welcome.

Coincidentally, Lee Chung-yong made his K League debut in 2006 at the age of 17 years, 8 months, and 10 days. While slightly earlier than Kim Ye-geon's debut on the 4th (at 17 years, 10 months, and 27 days), they share the commonality of debuting in the K League at age 17. Lee Chung-yong, whose talent was exceptional, went on to play across Europe, including Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, and VfL Bochum in England and Germany. He represented South Korea as a national team player for over a decade, appearing in 89 A-match games (scoring 9 goals). On that day at the stadium, Lee Chung-yong, one of the legends representing Korean football, and Kim Ye-geon, who debuted at the same age as Lee Chung-yong did 20 years ago, played together.

Regarding Kim Ye-geon, Lee Chung-yong said, "He seems technically very good. Football fans will surely enjoy watching his play." He added, "I think he is a player whose future is even more anticipated. I saw him play in the recent Ulsan HD match; despite his young age, he showed great ability and confidence, which was pleasing to watch. I hope he stays healthy and avoids major injuries while continuing to show good performances."

Indeed, on that day, although Kim Ye-geon was the youngest among the players on the field, he was also the most noticeable in terms of play. He was substituted into the game in the 22nd minute of the second half while his team was trailing 0-1. This marked his third appearance in K League 1. Earlier, Kim had entered the match in the 40th minute of the second half against Gangwon FC and in the 20th minute of the second half against Ulsan HD. In fact, he was prepared to be substituted earlier than in the Ulsan match, but since the ball did not go out of play, he waited for some time before finally entering the field.

Positioned on the left flank, he truly roamed the field with remarkable freedom and agility. His aggressive play stood out. Even when two defenders were ahead of him, Kim Ye-geon attempted to dribble directly through them rather than making a simple back pass. Immediately after failing his dribble, he showed initiative by quickly regaining possession with a powerful sliding tackle. In the 29th minute of the second half, he started building up play from his own half and somehow found himself inside the opponent's penalty box, attempting a bold shot. Ten minutes later, in a counterattack situation, he instead delivered a precise through pass that completely dismantled the opposing defense, setting up a shot by Han Seok-jin, who is one year older. However, the shot missed the goalpost, leaving him with regret.

He failed to score in consecutive professional matches following the Ulsan game. His team also lost 0-1, and Kim Ye-geon shared in the disappointment. Although some disappointing plays were evident, given his young age and that this was only his third professional match, there was no need to place too much significance on those shortcomings. Instead, his aggressive yet dazzling style of play, which is rarely seen in K League, was significant in itself. Lee Chung-yong also remarked, "As an opponent, he was a dangerous player for us. That's why we had to be extra careful and try to stop him." It seems he has already established such a strong presence.

After the match, Kim Ye-geon met with reporters and said, "I heard that opponents would become increasingly rough, but I tried not to worry about that and just play as usual. There is some pressure from the attention, but I'm not overly concerned. I am focusing on training hard and preparing for matches." He continued, "I always have ambition regarding playing time, but right now my role is to support the senior players. Just being able to play in a match is good enough. My biggest goal is to help the seniors win the championship. I want to stay injury-free and gradually show better performances step by step."

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*This content was translated by AI.