Lee Young-pyo

Anyang LG Cheetahs

On 3 December 1999, Anyang LG Cheetahs selected Lee, then at Konkuk University, with the first overall pick of the 2000 K League draft. Manager Cho Kwang-rae initially restricted him to the left flank but later used him as an attack-minded wing-back, allowing him to move into central midfield and forward areas. His frequent national-team commitments limited him to 18 domestic appearances. He nevertheless scored twice, registering his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Daejeon Citizen on 5 July and the winning goal against Bucheon SK seven days later. Lee appeared in both matches of the championship series against Bucheon as Anyang claimed its first league title in ten years. He finished runner-up to Yang Hyun-jung for the K League Rookie of the Year award. In 2001, Lee made 22 league appearances as the defending champions finished second, two points behind Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. He was subsequently selected as a defender in the K League Best XI. After a national-team training camp ended, Lee flew to Tehran in April 2002 and played every minute of Anyang’s semi-final and final in the 2001–02 Asian Club Championship. Anyang defeated hosts Esteghlal 2–1 in the semi-final, but played most of the final with ten men following André’s first-half dismissal and lost 4–2 on penalties to Suwon Samsung Bluewings after a goalless draw. After returning from the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Lee recorded one goal and five assists in 23 league appearances as…

Under-23 and Olympic team

Lee was selected for the South Korean Olympic team in April 1999 despite having no previous youth-international experience. He scored on his under-23 debut, a 5–0 Olympic qualifying victory over Sri Lanka on 25 May, and scored again in a 7–0 win against Chinese Taipei two days later. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Lee started all three group matches. South Korea lost 3–0 to Spain before defeating Morocco and Chile 1–0; all three teams finished with six points, but South Korea placed third on goal difference and were eliminated. Lee returned as one of South Korea's three over-age players, alongside Lee Woon-jae and Kim Young-chul, for the 2002 Asian Games, appearing in all six matches. In the semi-final, South Korea drew 0–0 with Iran after extra time. Lee, the team captain, struck the crossbar with South Korea's only missed penalty, while Iran converted all five attempts to win the shootout 5–3. South Korea subsequently defeated Thailand 3–0 to win the bronze medal. The defeat meant that teammates who had not already qualified for South Korea's special military-service status for athletes, including Lee Dong-gook, did not receive the benefit available to Asian Games gold medallists. Lee had already qualified under the special rule introduced for members of South Korea's 2002 FIFA World Cup team. He later recalled apologising to Lee Dong-gook, who told him that he did not blame him for the miss.

Senior team

Lee made his senior…

A right-footed full-back used primarily on the left, Lee could also operate at right-back or as a defensive midfielder. His dominant foot was a recurring consideration when he played on the left. A 2006 assessment of his first Tottenham season praised his passing, pace and recovery runs but identified crossing with his weaker left foot as his principal technical limitation, observing that those deliveries lacked the height and power of his right-footed kicks. Tottenham sometimes moved him to his natural side; when he started the 2006–07 season at right-back to accommodate Benoît Assou-Ekotto on the left, the club said that the arrangement could give the team greater balance because Lee was right-footed. He later played predominantly at right-back for Al-Hilal and Vancouver Whitecaps. Although his relatively slight build could leave him at a physical disadvantage, Lee compensated with speed, stamina, intelligent positioning and efficient defending. His work rate and movement allowed him to contribute on both sides of the ball, regularly advancing from full-back to support attacks. Lee was particularly associated with his dribbling and repeated step overs, known in Korean as 헛다리 짚기. He developed the move after repeatedly watching footage of Diego Maradona as a child and practising Maradona's dribbling techniques. Early in his senior career, a contemporary profile identified his kicking power and crossing as areas requiring improvement and noted occasional errors in his…

Lee was born on 23 April 1977 in Changchon-ri, Nae-myeon, Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. He attended Changchon Elementary School through the second grade before his family moved to Anyang in 1985. At Anyang Elementary School, Lee competed in athletics and placed eighth in a Gyeonggi Province elementary short-distance marathon while in the third grade. The following year, a football coach who had noticed his speed invited him to join the school team. Lee later recalled choosing football because he preferred the prospect of playing a team sport to running alone. Lee continued his education at Anyang Middle School and Anyang Technical High School, playing as a striker throughout his school career. In July 1995, as a third-year student, he scored his team's second goal in Anyang Technical High's 2–0 victory over Jaehyun High School in the final of the 14th KBS Cup autumn high-school tournament and was named the tournament's most valuable player. The following month, he helped Anyang Technical High win the Baengnokgi national high-school tournament. Shortly before entering university, Lee suffered a serious knee injury and consequently did not represent South Korea at under-20 or younger levels. Lee entered Konkuk University in 1996, where he studied political science and played for the university football team for four years. Although he had previously played as a striker, Konkuk coach Jeong Jong-deok converted him to left wing-back, believing that the position would make the best…