‘Pohang→Incheon→Retirement’ Kim Gwang-seok… “I was just such a player, thank you Incheon”

Incheon United’s 21st year pro, Kim Gwang-seok, said, “I wasn’t a good player, I was just a player, but I’m so grateful to have a retirement ceremony.”

Kim Gwang-seok, who made his debut with Pohang Steelers in 2003, played for Pohang for 18 years until 2020, excluding military service. He lifted the 2007 and 2013 K League championship cups. In 2009, he won the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) and reached the top of Asia.

He then moved to Incheon in 2020 and played two seasons. After his last season, he retired from active play and is now in charge of scouting for the club.

Incheon held a retirement press conference at the Incheon Soccer Stadium on the 22nd for Kim Gwang-seok, who devoted himself to the K-League for 21 years. Kim Gwang-seok, who attended the press conference, had time to look back on his active career so far.

Known as an icon of sincerity in the K-League, he said, “Every year, I get a call saying, ‘Let’s do one more year.’ I looked back on my football life.

Next is Kim Kwang-seok’s retirement press conference Q&A

• How do you feel about retirement?

I don’t know what to do because you searched for me too much. I was not a good player, but I wonder if I should be treated like this. I didn’t expect to have a retirement ceremony like this. There were a lot of good players, and I was a mediocre player, a player who was not flashy, but I am so grateful that the retirement ceremony was held in Incheon.

-What is the reaction of acquaintances after the decision to retire?

There were a lot of responses saying ‘why are you retiring, do more’. Actually, after turning 35, it was time to put things down one by one. My family knew I should stop, but my colleagues told me to do more. There are young players, but I felt sorry for them because they seemed to be blocking their growth, and I decided to retire because I felt burdened.

-What is the most memorable moment?

I think we should talk about Incheon… . I remember my first win in Incheon. It was all the more so because I remember how long it took for me to win the first game.

-If there is a difference between a player and a scout,

I learned a lot outside of soccer. I learned how to see from above and how much the coaching staff invests in a game. I came to know that the club thinks this way even outside of the player. I think it’s excessive, and I think I didn’t know football at all until now.

-What is the most difficult striker to play against?

There were so many great players on each team. I can’t pinpoint it, but every season there seems to be players who feel, ‘I don’t want to meet this player, I don’t want to play in this game’.

-What about scouting?

Seeing young players while scouting made me want to know more deeply about the system or anything other than football. When I was a player, I felt like I was only working hard in the stadium, but now I feel like I have so many soccer jobs. I think the club is really great. It’s fun just playing soccer, but I think it’s difficult because there are external aspects.

-The person who decided to retire and contacted me first.

Every year, I get a call saying, ‘Let’s do one more year’. I heard that seniors must last a long time so that young players can also last a long time. It sounds like you have a lot of responsibility.

-You are an icon of sincerity. Is there anything you want to say to your juniors?

I think the secret to a long run is to do it consistently without getting hurt. If you’re sincere and don’t get hurt, it seems that the light will shine someday. I think it is important to find a way to relieve stress and know how to play soccer for a long time.

-How do you compare your debut days to recent youth players?

In the past, if I tried to protect and nurture them for two to three years, now the players have a lot of regret. There is no R-League or second-team league that can grow. There were a lot of players who seemed like they would be fine after just watching for 2 or 3 years. If I was going to debut in this era, I would be a release.

-It’s like exchanging an active service extension with a one-club man in Pohang, isn’t it a pity?

It’s not a pity. On the contrary, I am so grateful and sorry just for holding the retirement ceremony. I don’t know if I’ve had it for 5 or 10 years, but I’ve only had it for 2 years, so I wonder if it was enough to receive this kind of treatment.

I wanted to put it down every year. I wanted to travel with my family for about a year, but the club’s representative or coach said that I shouldn’t rest until I’m 65. He said that it is okay to take a break, but it is not okay to take a break. It was a position of gratitude. Now it’s time to give thanks.

-As a scout, what is the first thing you see in youth players?

I was not a good player, so I prioritize the strengths rather than the weaknesses. Even pro players have their flaws. I look at the strengths first and check the youth players. 안전놀이터

-What meaning will the club Incheon have?

I want to remain as a club legend, and I am just grateful.

-If there is a difference between when you first came to Incheon and what Incheon is now,

the atmosphere was different when you first came and lost. When I lost in Pohang, I felt like I was dead. In Incheon, ‘It’s okay. I can win next time,’ and I thought, ‘Have I lived a bad life?’ When I lost, the atmosphere was different, so I needed time to adjust.

There are parts where I work hard now, and I have to score goals to win the next game, so I try to be close on and off the pitch. I try to take care of every little thing for the players. Pohang and Incheon definitely seem to have different colors.

-Do you have any ideas for a leader?

Not at all now. Actually, I was going to take a break for six months, but I ended up becoming ‘Kim Cowter’. no idea of ​​a leader Thinking of the youth players comes first.

Incheon United’s 21st year pro, Kim Gwang-seok, said, “I wasn’t a good player, I was just a player, but I’m so grateful to have a retirement ceremony.” Kim Gwang-seok, who made his debut with Pohang Steelers in 2003, played for Pohang for 18 years until 2020, excluding military service. He lifted the 2007 and 2013…