'Debut goal in 42 seconds'Lee Young-joon wins the August Player of the Month Award'Happiness'!

Sep 08, 2024

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'Next-generation striker'Lee Young-joon is quickly recognized for his ability as a grashopper.

Grashofer announced on the club's official website on the 8th (Korea time) that `Lee Young-joon has been selected as the team's player of August.' Grashofer said Lee won the first Player of the Month award with more than 30 percent of the vote, with Lee Young-joon, Morandi, Tuberth, and Mabili nominated.

Lee Young-joon's selection started with a stellar debut. Lee Young-joon shook the net 42 seconds into his debut match. Lee Young-joon scored the first goal 42 seconds into the match in the fifth round of the Swiss Super League against Siong at Stadion Lechgrund in Zurich, Switzerland, on the 25th of last month. Lee Young-joon, who caught the ball at the corner of the penalty area during the development of Grashofer's attack that began with kickoff, accurately stabbed the bottom corner of the near post with a right foot shot in front of the defender. It was a score reminiscent of Barcelona's 'Special Striker' Robert Lewandowski.

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Grashofer, who allowed a tie in the 14th minute of the second half, led again with a score by Christers Toberts three minutes later, and Chiwiliam Ndengue's net in the 45th minute won 3-1 in the second half. Lee Young-joon, who started as a front-line striker, successfully completed his debut by playing on the ground for 79 minutes until he was replaced by Nicolas Much in the 34th minute of the second half.

Lee Young-joon wore a grashopper uniform on the 30th of last month. The contract period is four years until 2028. Regarding Lee Young-joon, Grasshopper recently played for Kimcheon Sangmu in the K League 1 and demonstrated his ability. He gained international experience with South Korea's U-19, U-20, and U-23 national teams. He is tall, physically, and physically strong.' Sports director Stefan Schwarz of Grashofer "Lee Young-jun is a resource that fits exactly our requirements. Not only does he have a lot of potential, but he is also a young player with proven skills."

Lee Young-joon said, `I'm really happy to join Grashofer. This transfer will be a whole new challenge for me. I'm really looking forward to being given the opportunity to contribute to the team" he said.

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It is the first time in two years that a Korean player has joined Grashofer since Jung Sang-bin (Minnesota) in 2022. Lee Young-joon, who has a confident build of 1m92 and 87kg, performed very well at the U-20 World Cup last year. He also scored four goals in four games for the Olympic team. He scored three goals at the last U-23 Asian Cup and ranked second in the scoring rankings.

Lee Young-joon was from Suwon Samsung Youth and made his professional debut at Suwon FC in 2021 and played for three years. While serving in the military in Gimcheon from 2023 to 2024, he played in 21 games in both K League 1 and K League 2, scoring four goals and two assists. Lee Young-joon, who was discharged from the military on the 15th, has the conditions to freely challenge the European stage like Oh Hyun-kyu.

When high-quality strikers came to the market, not only K League 1 clubs but also foreign clubs such as Germany's Schalke 04 and RT Hard jumped into the market. The grashopper moved quickly. Lee Young-joon also made entering the European stage for growth a top priority. The transfer negotiations proceeded without a hitch. Following the transfer fee, the agreement between the clubs was completed as the agreement was reached on the clause 'Celon'. Lee Young-joon performed very well from the first game, meeting Grashofer's expectations. It seems to be quickly recognized by receiving the Player of the Month award.

vanbasten@sportschosun.com