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Young-pyo Lee gives us the low-down on Team K League

Tue 12 July 2022, 11:30|Tottenham Hotspur

Our first match of the Coupang Play Series against Team K League is almost upon us - and who better than a former Spur and South Korea international, and now CEO of a team in the K League, to run the rule over our opponents in Seoul?

Young-pyo Lee made almost 100 appearances for us in all competitions after signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2005. He started 31 times as we challenged for the top four in the Premier League in his first season, 2005/06, and later picked up a League Cup winner’s medal in 2008 before moving to Borussia Dortmund.

World Cup semi-finalist in 2002, where South Korea lost out to Germany in Seoul, Young-pyo earned 127 caps for his country. He retired in 2013 and now he’s back in Korea in a new role as CEO of K League side Gangwon, a role he’s held since December, 2020.

Watch the game on SPURSPLAY

Together again! Young-pyo Lee meets Ledley King in Seoul on Sunday

Young-pyo visited the team hotel on Sunday evening - where he was reunited with his former skipper, Ledley King - and has more than a vested interest in this game. Naturally, he can’t wait to watch Spurs on home soil, but our K League opponents also have two of his players from Gangwon in their squad.

“The K League team will almost be at the level of the Korean national team,” explained Young-pyo. “There are two players from every club from K League 1, 12 teams, so 24 players. I’m very excited that the K League is playing my former team, Spurs. My team in Korea, Gangwon, has two players - Yang Hyun-jun and Kim Dae-won. They are good players - be careful with them!

“The K League is in a good place. It’s the top league in Asia. Our teams have won the AFC Champions League many times (Korean clubs have won the title 12 times, last in 2020, Pohang Steelers were runners-up last time out), that’s why I’m looking forward so much to this game.

“Of course, our players want to play well against Spurs. Tottenham is so famous in Korea, because of Sonny, I played there as well. It’s a very exciting game and the players are all working hard together because this is a great chance for them to play against Tottenham.”