"Conditions suitable for the team's most goals, negotiations are positive"
Hwang Hee-chan (27), who has emerged as a special ace, is expected to soon renew his contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Britain's 'The Athletic' said on the 19th (Korean time), "Wolverhampton is discussing a contract renewal with Hwang Hee-chan." Hee-chan Hwang, now 27 years old, has established himself as the core of the team this season. Wolverhampton also commented on Hwang Hee-chan's performance. “We want to repay them with a contract,” he said.
Hwang Hee-chan's contract with Wolverhampton runs until the summer of 2026. According to the media, Hwang Hee-chan also wants to remain at Wolverhampton and is satisfied with working with manager Gary O'Neill. Negotiations are progressing positively as the interests of both sides are aligned.
Hwang Hee-chan was loaned from Leipzig to Wolverhampton in August 2021, and was transferred permanently in January of the following year, where he has been playing for three seasons. His last two seasons were disappointing. Even when his performance was good, he was often left due to chronic hamstring injuries. He appeared in 63 official matches over two seasons, scoring 9 goals and providing 4 assists. He was not a player who contributed much in terms of scoring.
However, he is performing at an all-time high this season, scoring a lot of goals. There is even a saying among fans, ‘Hwang Hee-chan without injuries is world class.’ Hwang Hee-chan is recording 7 official goals this season, including 6 league goals (2 assists) and 1 goal in the Carabao Cup. He is tied for 6th in EPL scoring. ‘National team senior’ Son Heung-min is tied for 3rd place in scoring with 8 goals. It is very encouraging that two Korean players are among the top 10 scorers in the EPL, one of the world's best leagues.
Hwang Hee-chan is recording the most goals and attack points at Wolverhampton. The team's second-highest scorer is Sasha Kalajic with three goals, and third place is Mateusz Cuna with only two goals. In fact, he boasts overwhelming scoring ability within the team.
The recent upward trend also stands out. He was also selected as the club's recently announced Player of the Month for October. Hee-chan Hwang was nominated along with winger Pedro Neto and defender Craig Dawson. Hwang Hee-chan, who received 45% of the votes, beat Neto by just 2% and was honored with the award. Hwang Hee-chan was also nominated for the Player of the Month award last September, but he finished second behind Neto. The club explained, "Hwang Hee-chan had an impressive October. He was selected as Player of the Month for helping the team in all three games. He is the third Player of the Month winner this season, following Shasa Kalajic in August and Pedro Neto in September." did.
Hwang Hee-chan recorded offensive points (2 goals, 1 assist) in all 3 games held in October. Thanks to Hwang Hee-chan's performance, Wolverhampton also went undefeated in October (1 win, 2 draws).
Hwang Hee-chan's first goal in October was against Aston Villa on the 8th. At that time, in the 8th minute of the second half, Hwang Hee-chan hit Neto's pass from the right side with a non-stop shot with his left foot, hitting the net. Despite Hwang Hee-chan's first goal, Wolverhampton allowed an equalizer two minutes later and finished the game 1-1.
Then, in the match against Bournemouth on the 21st, he assisted Sasha Kalajic's winning goal and contributed to a 2-1 win. Hwang Hee-chan caught the ball in the arc circle and, seeing Kalajic rushing towards the goal, stabbed a forward pass. Kalajic neatly pushed in and succeeded in scoring. Hwang Hee-chan's elaborate pass that made a way between two defenders stood out.
In the game against Newcastle on the 29th, he scored an equalizer in the 26th minute of the second half when he was down 1-2. Totti Gomes made a forward pass to Hwang Hee-chan, who was in front of the goal. Hwang Hee-chan deceived the tackling defender with a 'fantastic fold' and kicked the ball with his left foot into the net. Hwang Hee-chan, who scored his 6th league goal, rewrote the record for most goals in his season after entering the EPL in the 2021-2022 season. He scored 5 goals in the 2021-2022 season, which was his first season in the EPL, and only scored 3 goals last season due to frequent hamstring injuries. However, he is having an ‘all-time great’ early season as he regains his normal condition.
In addition, with this goal, he became the first player in Wolverhampton history to score goals in six consecutive home games. Hwang Hee-chan became the first player to score goals in six consecutive home games since Wolverhampton was founded in 1877. Starting with a goal against Everton, the last home game in the league last season, he has scored in all six games played at home this season.
At the time, Hwang Hee-chan said on the club's website, "It is a great honor to set this record as a Wolverhampton player. I want to score more goals in the future," and "Goals are the result of working together with my teammates. We train hard to work well together. “My colleagues trust me and I also trust them,” he said.
Hwang Hee-chan is currently joining the Korea A national team led by coach Jürgen Klinsmann and is participating in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. He started in the first game against Singapore held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 16th and scored Korea's second goal early in the second half, contributing to a 5-0 victory. In the 4th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in broke through two defenders on the right side with a personal technique, but was tripped by the defender's feet and was given the advantage. Cho Gyu-seong caught the flowing ball and crossed, and Hwang Hee-chan, who was rushing, hit the net with a header. Hwang Hee-chan performed a ‘Far Mountain Ceremony’ towards his fans. It was a goal in two consecutive international matches following an evaluation match against Vietnam last month.
After the game, Hwang Hee-chan said, "I stayed calm and the first goal was scored, and I scored the second goal, which gave the team some time to relax. It was a goal that I was personally happy about because it helped the team."
Now, Hwang Hee-chan will play an away game against China at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center on the 21st. He said, "I finished the first game well today, so I want to enjoy it a lot now. When playing against Asian teams, our goal is to get both performance and results. We will prepare well."
Previously, on the first day of national team A's convocation, Hwang Hee-chan said, "As the important World Cup qualifiers have begun, I want to create synergy together and play a positive role for the team." He laughed and said that there is a saying among fans that 'Hwang Hee-chan without injuries is world class' and said, "I have really experienced a lot of trial and error during my professional career. I have improved a lot in difficult moments and although there is no right answer, I have learned how to manage my body to suit my needs. "I came to know. I was fortunate this season, as I adapted well to the team and my records improved. I want to maintain it for as long as possible. More than anything, it is important not to get hurt, so taking care of my body is important," he said.
When asked if there were any problems with his hamstring, which suffered from chronic injuries, he replied, "I can't say I'm completely fine, but I'm continuing to manage it so it doesn't get worse. I'm still conscious of the injury, but I'm positive for now."
Mga Komento
Mag-post ng isang Komento