There is a reason Kim Gwang-seok was nicknamed the ‘Icon of Sincerity’ representing the K-League. This is because he has recorded double-digit appearances in the league for 18 consecutive seasons since his debut.
On the 22nd, Incheon United held a retirement ceremony for Kim Gwang-seok and held a press conference prior to the home game against Suwon FC. Kim Kwang-seok seemed to be taken aback by the number of reporters more than expected, and he did not know what to do.
Kim Kwang-seok is called the ‘icon of sincerity’ in the K-League. At the press conference that day, Kim Kwang-seok was introduced like that. For good reason. Since his professional debut, Kim Kwang-seok has been consistently active, setting a record of double-digit appearances in the league for 18 consecutive seasons.카지노
He has played in 451 K-League games, ranking 9th all-time after Kim Sang-shik (458 games) and Kang Min-soo (456 games).
In particular, the double-digit number of appearances for 18 consecutive seasons is a record that neither Kim Byung-ji (16 seasons) nor Choi Eun-seong (17 seasons) could achieve.
It wasn’t smooth from the beginning. Kim Kwang-seok made his professional debut with Pohang Steelers in 2003, but when he joined, he was a trainee, not a player. After a lot of hard work, I was able to sign a professional contract with Pohang.
Kim Kwang-seok, who played 9 league games in his first season, took an entire season off due to an injury in the 2004 season. He immersed himself in rehabilitation by going back and forth in the second-team league, the R League. He joined Gwangju Sangmu for rehabilitation and military service in the 2005 season, and this season he played in 10 league games and played double-digit games for the first time.
Kim Gwang-seok, who returned to Pohang in 2007, played in 12 league games while going back and forth between the 1st and 2nd divisions, solidifying his position. And he played 20 games in the 2008 season under coach Sergiu Parillas, making more than 20 appearances for the first time.
From the 2011 season to the 2014 season, which was his heyday, he played an active role as a key player in the team, playing nearly 30 to 40 games every year. In 2013, he played a key role in Pohang’s K-League and FA Cup win.
Kim Gwang-seok, who played in Pohang until the 2020 season, headed to Incheon after the contract expired, and even with the new team, he played in 25 games in the 2021 season and 17 games in the 2022 season, setting a double-digit record for 18 consecutive seasons, and then said goodbye to the ground.
Kim Kwang-seok, who showed steady performance every season like this, showed a humble attitude throughout the press conference.
Kim Gwang-seok said, “I was just such a player, but I’m so grateful that you welcomed me like this” or “I was able to come this far because I waited for about 2 or 3 years in the past. In this era, I would have been released right away” and said he was lucky. did.
After taking off his soccer boots in Incheon, Kim Gwang-seok begins his second life as a club scout.
Incheon cheered, saying, “I hope that Kim Kwang-seok, who has led Korean soccer by staying at work for a long time and has been a senior who should be followed by soccer-loving players in various aspects such as self-management and sincerity, will have infinite development and glory in the future.”