It has been a good week for South Korean footballers and their exploits caused the ever-happy presenter on SBS sports news to smile even wider last week. “Finally”, she beamed, “Lee Dong-gook scores in England for Middlesbrough.” The next evening, she was at it again. “At the last moment, Lee Chun-soo returns to Europe.” After seven months, eleven appearances and no goals with Premier League team Middlesbrough, the Lion King was looking less regal and more ragged by the week. Minutes spent on the pitch in the north-east of England were never plentiful but were dwindling further, as was his confidence.

The 23-man squad has been named and now South Korea’s preparations for the Asian Cup and first round games against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia in next month’s continental competition are ready to begin. National team coach Pim Verbeek sprung few surprises at KFA HQ last Friday afternoon. The big issue was whether strikers Lee Dong-gook and Ahn Jung-hwan would be selected. Lee was, Ahn wasn’t. So almost five years to the day since Ahn scored that famous golden goal which sent Italy crashing out of the 2002 World Cup and South Korea to the quarter-finals, his international career was almost certainly seemingly ended. At 31 and struggling to find a starting place with K-League team Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the way back to the top looks to be a tough one for the well-traveled striker.

As the referee blew his whistle at the end of Saturday’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea ended, he also called time on the 2006/07 English season.

2006 saw Lee Chun-soo impress at the World Cup and almost everywhere else he played while national team-mate Lee Dong-gook was left nursing a torn cruciate ligament and shattered dreams of missing out on a second World Cup.

The news that English Premier League team Middlesbrough look set to buy South Korean striker Lee Dong-gook will be welcomed by the player. It may not be such good tidings for the K-League which will lose one of its biggest stars but even the competition’s greatest supporters would not begrudge the Lion King his chance to roar on one of the world’s biggest and brightest stages.