Defender Jang Seul-gi (29) of the women's national soccer team left Incheon Hyundai Steel, the absolute best in the WK League, and wore the Gyeongju KHNP uniform ([Exclusive] 'A Match 99' women's soccer team Seul-gi Jang, Leaving Hyundai Steel and transferring to Gyeongju Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (reported on December 6).
Jang Seul-gi, who made a difficult decision, expressed her ambition through 'News 1', saying, "I wanted to become a challenger," and "I will look to high places again and climb up."
Jang Seul-gi, who has always played for Hyundai Steel as an ‘absolute top player' except for one year when he joined Hyundai Steel in 2016 and Madrid CFF (Spain) in 2020, will take on a new challenge at Gyeongju KHNP starting next season.
Jang Seul-gi's transfer was news that shocked the women's soccer world. This is because Jang Seul-gi, a veteran who played 99 international matches and a key player in the ‘ultra-luxury team' Hyundai Steel, moved to the ‘challenger' Gyeongju KHNP on his own.
Jang Seul-gi explained her reason, saying, "It is true that it took more time than expected for her to make the final decision. There was pressure, but she made up her mind because she wanted to be in the position of a challenger."
Hyundai Steel is a powerhouse that has won the championship for 11 consecutive years from 2013 to this year. On the other hand, Gyeongju KHNP has advanced to the championship game three times in the club's history, but failed to win the championship due to being blocked by Hyundai Steel in all of them. There is a second person image.
Nevertheless, Seulgi Jang chose to long for her first win instead of treating it like a meal.
He said, "I played for Hyundai Steel for 8 years and only won every time, so I felt stagnant without realizing it. I tried to do my best in every game, but I had no choice but to become complacent." He added, "As I competed for the starting position again from the beginning, each game was fierce. “I wanted to challenge myself,” he added.
Hyundai Steel colleagues were also surprised by the transfer of Seulgi Jang, who had never changed teams in Korea.
Jang Seul-gi, who did not tell people around him for a while even after making his decision, first announced his transfer ahead of the second leg of the championship match against Suwon FC Women. All of his colleagues reacted in disbelief for a long time.
Afterwards, during the A national team convocation training, I shared the news with the women's soccer team coach Colin Bell, and coach Bell was also puzzled.
Seul-gi Jang explained, “Coach Bell was curious about the reason why I wanted to transfer. When I explained that I wanted to become a challenger again, he immediately supported and cheered for that decision.”
Seulgi Jang defined the meaning of this transfer as ‘a big change that will affect my entire life.'
He said, "Of course I was happy and gained a lot while playing for Hyundai Steel. But now (having played for one team for 8 years), I wanted to meet other players as well. I want to make a big difference not only to soccer players but to my entire life." For example, at Hyundai Steel, I played with help from experienced older sisters, but in the future, at Gyeongju KHNP, I want to become a player who leads and helps my younger siblings,” he said.
As he wishes, major changes in many aspects are inevitable in the future. Jang Seul-gi, who only won titles throughout his career at Hyundai Steel, must now play for Gyeongju KHNP's first win since its founding. It is a road the team has never been on before, so it is bound to be difficult.
At Hyundai Steel, the defensive line he worked with was full of national team members such as Kim Jeong-mi, Kim Hye-ri, and Lim Seon-ju, but at Gyeongju KHNP, he is the only national representative on the team (based on Hangzhou Asian Games entry). The sense of responsibility and weight changes. The team's perspectives and expectations toward Jang Seul-gi are bound to be different from those at Hyundai Steel.
