Hwang Hee-chan Wolverhampton is back. There is a high possibility that he will start against Brentford.
Wolverhampton will play Brentford on the 11th in the 24th round of the English Premier League in the 2023-24 season.
Hwang Hee-chan, who was away for a while due to the Asian Cup match, returned. His last game for his team was against Everton on December 31 last year. At that time, he led the team to a 3-0 victory with one assist.
He left for the Asian Cup. He expressed his determination to lead the Korean national team to the championship for the first time in 64 years. However, he kneeled down after losing 0-2 to Jordan in the semifinal.
South Korea left a disappointment, but Wolverhampton is happy to see Hwang Hee-chan, who returned early. The British media "The Standard" reported on the 9th that "Wolverhampton's Hwang Hee-chan is ready to return from the Asian Cup and play as a starter."
Manager Gary O'Neill also said, "Hwang Hee-chan and Bubakar Traore, who returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, are both healthy. They can start. There will be decisions to be made."
"As far as I know, Hwang Hee-chan desperately wanted to win the Asian Cup. That's why I'm sorry," he said. "We're sorry that he didn't achieve his goal until the end. On the other hand, we're happy to be with him one game earlier than expected. He gives us a great option. The return of Hwang Hee-chan to the team was a boost to all of us."
It is also positive that Hwang Hee-chan is in good physical condition. He has not been able to play in full physical condition in this Asian Cup. I had pain in my thigh before the tournament. I had a feeling of playing as a substitute since the third group match against Malaysia. After that, I tried to help him in the knockout stage, but it was not perfect. Hwang Hee-chan said, "I wanted to play full time, but it didn't help much. I think I can take better care of my body to be helpful to the team anyway. I really wanted to prepare better and show good performance to the fans."
He wants to dispel regret and let Hwang Hee-chan improve his performance at Wolverhampton again. This season, Hwang Hee-chan has played in 20 Premier League matches, scoring 10 goals and three assists. He became the second Asian player to score double-digit goals in the Premier League after Son Heung-min, and has established himself as a representative player of the Premier League beyond Wolverhampton. He is tied for seventh in the league in terms of scoring.
Wolverhampton acknowledged Hwang Hee-chan's performance and awarded him a contract until 2028. This deal catapulted Hwang Hee-chan to the highest level in his team. When announcing his contract, Wolverhampton said, "Hwang Hee-chan, the most prolific Wolverhampton scorer so far this season, has confirmed his contract through 2028. He promised his future to our team. The Korean national team player took his first steps on loan at Wolverhampton in 2021, and is currently having his best season under Gary O'Neill."
Hwang Hee-chan said, "I don't want to stop here. I want to go up as high as possible. I'm so happy to renew my contract. I will play for my team, fans, and family. Even after a good start, I had a hard time due to injuries. But playing in the Premier League has always been my dream. I always tried to enjoy it. I will continue to move forward."
Coach O'Neill also said in a press conference ahead of the away game against West Ham United, "Hwang Hee-chan's performance this season has really helped develop Wolverhampton. I hope he will continue to play well in the future. I'm glad we signed a contract with Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang Hee-chan has worked hard since I came to this team. If the performance continues as it is and continues to manage as it is now, there is no reason not to score 15 to 20 goals in the season."
He also brought up some behind-the-scenes stories after the renewal of the contract. "Hwang Hee-chan came to say thank you to me and the staff who helped me in the contract renewal process. It was a scene that showed what kind of person Hwang Hee-chan is and how important a player he is to our team Wolverhampton. We talked about his team's efforts and direction to persuade Hwang Hee-chan," O'Neill said.
"I don't have the reason why Hwang Hee-chan scored a lot of goals. Everything is Hwang Hee-chan's effort. Hwang Hee-chan has great ability. I hope our team structure helped Hwang Hee-chan. I think Hwang Hee-chan's diligent movement on the field is one of the big reasons," he replied.
General manager Matt Hobbs also said, "Hwang Hee-chan always gave everything for the club. Now fans are grateful that Hwang Hee-chan plays an important part in O'Neill's team."
Hwang Hee-chan does not immediately take his place at Wolverhampton. He also had difficulty adjusting in the early days of his transfer. He attracted full recruitment six months after being loaned to Wolverhampton in 2021. He gained confidence by shaking the net in his debut match at Wolverhampton, and he added wings to his team's victory with active attacks from the side.
Despite his great potential, he was hampered by frequent injuries. Due to chronic muscle injuries, he was unable to complete a full season in many cases. Fans in Wolverhampton complained that he might have scouted him too soon.
Hwang Hee-chan chose to compete, although rumors of his release were intertwined with Wolverhampton's financial fair play FFP regulations. After recovering his confidence by opening the Portuguese net in the final group match of the Qatar World Cup, he also devoted himself to preventing injury.
Ahead of this season, he has prepared more thoroughly than ever. He tried to prevent muscle injuries by modifying his training methods and diet. After the departure of Julen Lopetegui, who used to appoint Hwang Hee-chan, he played as a joker in the early days under Gary O'Neill, but when Hwang Hee-chan played, he showed his presence by scoring attack points.
Under O'Neill, there were many bench appearances in the beginning. At that time, Hwang Hee-chan made a mark through scoring. In the second round of the Premier League home game against Brighton, he came out of the bench and scored a goal. Since then, he has scored consecutive goals against Crystal Palace and Liverpool. At the beginning of the season, Hwang Hee-chan, who had many bench appearances, began to get a chance to start against Liverpool.
In the meantime, Hwang Hee-chan's potential began to explode. In particular, the name was clearly announced through the 7th round match of the Premier League against Manchester City. Coach Pep Guardiola mentioned Hwang Hee-chan as a "Korean Guy" before the game, and Hwang Hee-chan's nickname was created. Hwang Hee-chan led the victory with a goal, imprinting his presence on Guardiola.
These performances also broke the club's history. Hwang Hee-chan became the third player in Wolverhampton's history to score more than 10 goals. Previously, Stephen Fletcher and Raul Jimenez recorded records for two seasons each.
He also became the fastest double-digit scorer in the club's history. He has scored 10 goals in 19 games this season. Previously, his fastest pace was 10 goals in 2010-11 when Fletcher played in 20 games. 토토사이트
As Hwang Hee-chan's performance continues, interest in Hwang Hee-chan is also growing. Since the renewal of his contract, rumors of his transfer have been circulating. The British media Football Insider reported that "Liverpool and Tottenham are paying attention to Hwang Hee-chan for the New Year's Day in January 2024. The two teams are considering recruiting Hwang Hee-chan in the summer transfer market this year. Hwang Hee-chan can play in No. 9 as well as attacking left and right sides. He is quite impressive when he played as a front-line striker. He continues to play outstandingly with direct, fast, and strong plays. He is currently a key striker at Wolverhampton."
Rumor has it that Liverpool and Tottenham scouts were satisfied with Hwang Hee-chan's performance. According to reports, the two teams have watched Hwang Hee-chan's performance in recent months and were greatly impressed. There are Darwin Nuñez in Liverpool and Hisharlisong in Tottenham, but they have not been able to clearly score, so they plan to supplement their scoring by recruiting Hwang Hee-chan.
Of course, Wolverhampton is unlikely to yield Hwang Hee-chan easily. If Wolverhampton gives up Hwang Hee-chan to a big club, he will pay at least 50 million pounds 82.8 billion won in transfer fees. There are cases where he left the team for the first time in half a year after renewing his contract, but it remains to be seen that Hwang Hee-chan is also satisfied with his life in Wolverhampton.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton is ranking 10th in the league with 32 points with 9 wins, 5 draws, and 9 losses in the Premier League. In the past nine matches including the league and cup competitions, he has only one defeat. In the Premier League, he is cruising with four wins, one draw and one loss. As Hwang Hee-chan is back in a good mood, he is expected to maintain his upward trend.
