 |
| 사진=버밍엄 |
|
Lee Myung-jae's challenge was beautiful, but the reality is not.
Lee Myung-jae, born in 1993, chose to go to Europe as a surprise in the transfer market last winter. Lee Myung-jae, whose contract with Ulsan HD expired at the end of the 2024 season, was originally not considering going to Europe while contemplating the future. This is because a large amount of proposals have arrived from China and the Middle East. There was also a team in Japan that wanted Lee Myung-jae.
At this time, Birmingham expressed interest, and after much consideration, Lee Myung-jae chose to go to Birmingham, saying he would try Europe at least once. Birmingham signed Birmingham at the end of the transfer window "31-year-old Lee Myung-jae to the 2024-2025 season. Recently, he played in Ulsan in the K League. Run with number 16. Lee Myung-jae, who played seven games for the South Korean national team, announced his recruitment by saying, "It has been a choice to strengthen defensive options for coach Chris Davis until the end of the season."
 |
| Courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
|
Baek Seung-ho, a junior in South Korea, was already settled in Birmingham, so it could be of great help to Lee Myung-jae's adaptation to Europe. Coach Davis reportedly wanted to recruit Lee Myung-jae after watching him play. It was a decision worth cheering for Lee Myung-jae, who can sign a large contract as a soccer player last, to shake off the huge offer and go to Europe, and even England League 1 (third division).
Lee Myung-jae, who was signed by Birmingham until this season, had to somehow prove his worth for the remaining four months. In order for the difficult European challenge to continue more successfully, the best scenario was to renew the contract with Birmingham, which is likely to be promoted to the English Championship (second division) next season by showing its skills within the rest of the season.
 |
| Courtesy of the Korea Football Association |
|
However, Lee Myung-jae has not played a single game for two months since the transfer. It was expected that it would take time for Lee Myung-jae to make his debut because he had not yet made 100% of his physical condition after the 2024 season, but he never expected it to be this late.
At least if it is included in the game list, we can expect Lee Myung-jae to make his European debut, but Davis has not included Lee Myung-jae in the game list. It's not even a hopeful situation because there was no news that he was injured. Since he couldn't play in the game, Lee Myung-jae wasn't even called by the national team during the A-match in March.
 |
| 사진=버밍엄 |
|
Birmingham's 2024-2025 season will be completed on May 3. There are only nine remaining matches, including the Cup. Will Lee Myung-jae be able to make his debut in the near future. If the contract with Birmingham expires as it is, Lee Myung-jae's future will be uncertain.
Reporter Kim Dae-sik rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
