Courtesy of Korea Professional Football League
At 33 years and 333 days old, Ulsan HD FC forward Joo Min-kyu has been named one of the 23 players for the Korean men's national football team's upcoming training camp. The team is preparing for two World Cup qualifying matches against Thailand on March 21 and 26. Joo's selection marks his first call-up to the national team, making him the oldest Korean player ever to receive this honor.
Joo, a prolific scorer with 56 goals over the past three years in the K League 1, expressed his joy and pride at finally earning a spot on the national team after being overlooked by previous coaches. Despite his goal-scoring prowess, Joo had not been called up by the last two national team managers, Paulo Bento and Jurgen Klinsmann.
This month, Joo and Cho Gue-sung are the only two forwards named to the national team. Cho, almost eight years younger than Joo, has 37 caps and has played in major tournaments such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
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| ▲ Joo Min-kyu / Courtesy of Korea Professional Football League |
Joo aims to make the most of the learning opportunities within the national team, particularly with captain Son Heung-min, who ranks third overall in national team history with 44 goals. Hwang Sun-hong, the head coach for the under-23 men's national team, is temporarily leading the senior squad for the March matches.
Hwang praised Joo, stating, "No one has scored more than 50 goals over the past three years, and we don't really need much explanation when it comes to Joo Min-kyu."
Joo expressed excitement about training with Hwang and learning from him, considering it an honor. He shared his determination to keep chasing dreams and expressed gratitude for realizing his dream at this age.
While Joo may humorously see himself as a "young guy" on the team, he acknowledges the jests about his age, even from his wife. Despite the late call-up, Joo remains thankful for the opportunity to represent the national team.
Sayart
Kang In sig, insig6622@naver.com
