Lee Chung-yong

FC Seoul

In 2003, FC Seoul, then known as Anyang LG Cheetahs in its modern incarnation, then manager Cho Kwang-rae began focusing on developing a youth academy within the team. Lee, who, at the time, was attending Dobong Middle School caught the eye of a scout and manager Cho decided to attend his match. After watching only the first half, he was certain Lee had a massive potential, and decided to sign him on the spot. Subsequently, Lee dropped out of the school and joined FC Seoul. Dropping out of middle school could mean a lot later in his life since Korea does not draft middle school dropouts for its military. FC Seoul at the time signed a handful of youngsters this way, with the most prominent ones being Lee Chung-yong himself, Ko Yo-han, Koh Myong-jin and Song Jin-hyung. He was a substitute in the 2004 League Cup, In 2006, he debuted in the K League. For the next several years, Lee honed his skills in the FC Seoul reserves alongside close friend and international teammate Ki Sung-yueng. In 2007, Şenol Güneş, famous for coaching the third-placed Turkey national squad in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, joined FC Seoul as manager. After watching the youngsters Koh Myong-jin, Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong carefully, he recognized the players' significant abilities and aimed to use them as important elements in the FC Seoul first team. That season, Lee Chung-yong began to break into the first team, playing in 15 league matches and scoring three goals. The following year,…

Lee's international career started as part of the South Korea under-20 squad in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Despite impressing against quality opposition including the United States, Brazil, and Poland, South Korea failed to make the cut for the next round. Lee's individual performances, however, were enough to impress many neutrals and rumored to have caught the eye of many European scouts. After his under-20 tenure, Lee was part of the unsuccessful national under-23 team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. When Olympics were being held, Koreans nominated Lee as the most anticipated player among Korean football players. His first under-23 match was against Syria in Damascus, 17 October 2007. On 31 May 2008, Lee was given his national team debut by manager Huh Jung-moo in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Jordan. He would score his first national team goal against the same team in the return leg at home on 5 September 2008 in Seoul World Cup Stadium. Lee Chung-yong was one of the most consistent and important players in South Korea's successful seventh consecutive qualification for the FIFA World Cup and eighth overall, an Asian record. On 17 June 2010, Lee scored an injury time goal in the first half against Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Lee scored again in the round of 16 match against Uruguay in South Korea's 2–1 defeat. He was named in the top 10 rising stars of the 2010 FIFA World Cup by Sports Illustrated. On 15 October 2013, Lee made his 50th…

Lee Chung-yong's football career started at the age of 11. Although considered to have started too late by some, his enormous talent was evident and his reputation grew among the Seoul youth football development community.

Lee married his middle-school girlfriend at Hotel Shilla in Seoul on 12 July 2014. Lee said he shuns alcohol and smoking, and even refrains from drinking coffee. Upon arriving in England, he reportedly spent two to three hours a day studying English and attended English classes to improve his speaking ability.