Ulsan Hyundai’s Kim Young-kwon, who was named the top star in professional soccer for the 2023 season, was momentarily speechless as he stood in his honor.
As he struggled to catch his breath, his wife, watching from the bottom of the podium, silently wiped away tears.
“Honey, this trophy…I think it’s a trophy of sweat and hard work, and I want to thank you for raising our children so beautifully, and I want to thank you for making me such a wonderful soccer player,” he said with emotion.
Kim was named the K League 1 Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Hana OneQ K League 2023 Grand Award Ceremony held at Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu, Seoul on April 4.
He was recognized for his contribution to Ulsan’s second consecutive K League 1 title. It is the first time in two years that a central defender has won the MVP award since Hong Jeong-ho (Jeonbuk) in 2021.
With 103 caps for the national team, including three World Cup appearances (Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022), 안전카지노사이트 Kim also earned the highest honor for a professional soccer player.
“I’m sure my father and mother are watching on TV, and I’m very grateful to them for making me a soccer player named Kim Young-kwon,” he said as he was called to the podium.
“There was a time when I wasn’t playing well this season, and I remember what coach (Hong Myung-bo) told me,” he said. “When he said, ‘What if you can’t play one or two games,’ my stomach dropped and I was convinced that we can win this season.”
As the defending champions, it’s easy to imagine the pressure the Ulsan players had to carry.
“I’m grateful to the coach who always takes care of the players,” said Kim Young-kwon. He always tells us that what we have done so far is just the past, but I will be a player who prepares for the future rather than the past,” Kim said.
“I will be a player who doesn’t stop here. I’m almost on the last page of my soccer (life), and it’s just beginning,” he said, adding, “I hope to see you here next year with a better performance and better character than this year.”
Kim also expressed his gratitude to Chung Mong-kyu, the president of the Korea Football Association, who made a rare visit to the award ceremony.
“I would also like to thank the president of the Korean Football Association, Chung Mong-kyu, who is always working hard for Korean soccer and thinking about how to develop Korean soccer,” Kim said. 카지노사이트
