Seol Ki-hyeon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Seol Ki-Hyeon

Seol with Fulham in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth	(1979-01-08) 8 January 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Jeongseon, Gangwon, South Korea
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Gyeongnam FC (manager)
Youth career
1994–1996	Gangneung Commercial High School [ko]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	Royal Antwerp	25	(10)
2001–2004	Anderlecht	71	(18)
2004–2006	Wolverhampton Wanderers	69	(8)
2006–2007	Reading	30	(4)
2007–2010	Fulham	18	(1)
2009	→ Al-Hilal (loan)	7	(0)
2010	Pohang Steelers	16	(7)
2011	Ulsan Hyundai	34	(5)
2012–2014	Incheon United	73	(11)
Total		343	(64)
National team
1999	South Korea U20	12	(7)
1999–2000	South Korea U23	25	(10)
2000–2009	South Korea	82	(19)
Teams managed
2015	Sungkyunkwan University (caretaker)
2016–2018	Sungkyunkwan University
2019–	Gyeongnam FC
Honours Representing  South Korea Men's football AFC Asian Cup Bronze 2000 Lebanon Team AFC Youth Championship Gold 1998 Thailand Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Seol Ki-hyeon (Hangul: 설기현; Hanja: 薛琦鉉; born on January 8, 1979) is a famous South Korean former professional footballer. He played as a winger, which means he played mostly on the sides of the field. Today, he is the manager of Gyeongnam FC. Seol was the first South Korean player to score a goal in the history of the UEFA Champions League. This happened when he played for Anderlecht.

Seol Ki-hyeon's Football Journey

Seol Ki-hyeon had an exciting career playing football in different countries. He started in Belgium, then moved to England, and later played in Saudi Arabia and back in South Korea.

Playing in Belgium

In July 2000, Seol joined a Belgian club called Royal Antwerp. He quickly became a key player. He was the second South Korean footballer to score more than ten goals in a single season in Europe. This was a big achievement, following in the footsteps of the legendary Cha Bum-kun.

After a great season with Royal Antwerp, Seol moved to Anderlecht. This was another top team in the same league. He scored three goals in just 12 minutes during the 2001 Belgian Super-Cup. He also made history by becoming the first South Korean player to score in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League. In the 2003–04 season, he helped Anderlecht win the 2003–04 Belgian First Division title.

Time with Wolverhampton Wanderers

In August 2004, Seol moved to England to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers. This team was in the Championship, which is the league below the Premier League. The manager, Glenn Hoddle, liked Seol's skills. He used Seol in many different attacking roles, like a striker, an attacking midfielder, or a winger.

Seol wanted to play in the top league, the Premier League. He was disappointed that Wolves did not get promoted. Even though he had two years left on his contract, he hoped to join a Premier League club after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Playing for Reading

Seol joined Reading on July 12, 2006. Reading had just been promoted to the Premier League. The transfer fee was about £1.5 million. Fans voted him Reading's Player of the Month for August because he played so well at the start of the season.

On September 16, 2006, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–1 win against Sheffield United. He scored his second goal against West Ham United and his third against Charlton Athletic. He scored his fourth goal in the last game of the season against Blackburn Rovers.

Moving to Fulham

On August 31, 2007, Seol left Reading and joined Fulham. He signed a three-year contract. His relationship with Reading's manager, Steve Coppell, had become difficult.

After a new manager, Roy Hodgson, took over at Fulham, Seol did not play as much. He scored his first goal for Fulham on August 16, 2008, in a game against Hull City. In January 2009, he went on loan to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He later returned to Fulham, hoping to earn his place back.

Seol scored another goal for Fulham in a Europa League game in July 2009. However, his contract with Fulham was ended by mutual agreement on January 15, 2010.

Later Career and Retirement

After leaving Fulham, Seol played for several teams in the K League in South Korea. These teams included Pohang Steelers, Ulsan Hyundai, and Incheon United.

On March 2, 2015, Seol announced that he was retiring from playing football. He decided to become the interim manager of Sungkyunkwan University. His official retirement ceremony happened during a friendly match between South Korea and Jamaica on October 13, 2015.

International Matches

Seol Ki-hyeon played for the South Korean national team in two FIFA World Cup tournaments: 2002 and 2006.

In the 2002 World Cup, which South Korea co-hosted, he was a regular starter. He helped his country reach the semi-finals, which was a historic achievement. He scored a very important goal that tied the game in the round of 16 against Italy. Because of his great performance, he was even nominated for the 2002 Ballon d'Or award that year.

Seol Ki-hyeon's International Goals

Here is a list of the goals Seol Ki-hyeon scored for the South Korean national team:

List of international goals scored by Seol Ki-hyeon

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 April 2000	Seoul, South Korea	Laos	4–0	9–0	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2				8–0
3				9–0
4	9 April 2000	Seoul, South Korea	Myanmar	1–0	4–0	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
5				2–0
6	7 October 2000	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Australia	3–2	4–2	2000 LG Cup
7	11 February 2001	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	United Arab Emirates	3–1	4–1	2001 Dubai Tournament
8	26 May 2002	Suwon, South Korea	France	2–1	2–3	Friendly
9	18 June 2002	Daejeon, South Korea	Italy	1–1	2–1 (aet)	2002 FIFA World Cup
10	20 November 2002	Seoul, South Korea	Brazil	1–0	2–3	Friendly
11	14 February 2004	Ulsan, South Korea	Oman	2–0	5–0	Friendly
12	31 July 2004	Jinan, China	Iran	1–1	3–4	2004 AFC Asian Cup
13	26 May 2006	Seoul, South Korea	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	2–0	Friendly
14	2 September 2006	Seoul, South Korea	Iran	1–0	1–1	2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
15	6 September 2006	Suwon, South Korea	Chinese Taipei	1–0	8–0	2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
16				3–0
17	6 February 2008	Seoul, South Korea	Turkmenistan	2–0	4–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
18				4–0
19	5 September 2009	Seoul, South Korea	Australia	3–1	3–1	Friendly

Becoming a Manager

After his playing career, Seol Ki-hyeon decided to become a football manager. On December 26, 2019, he was officially appointed as the manager of Gyeongnam FC.

Off the Field: Media Appearances

Seol was sponsored by the sportswear company Nike. He appeared in some of their commercials. One famous commercial was called "Secret Tournament" (also known as "Scopion KO"). It was directed by Terry Gilliam before the 2002 World Cup. Seol starred alongside many other famous football players like Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho.

Awards and Achievements

Seol Ki-hyeon won several awards and titles during his career:

With Anderlecht

• Belgian First Division: 2003–04
• Belgian Super Cup: 2001

With Al-Hilal

• Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2008–09

With Ulsan Hyundai

• Korean League Cup: 2011

With South Korea U20 (Under 20 team)

• AFC Youth Championship: 1998

With South Korea (Senior team)

• AFC Asian Cup third place: 2000

Individual Award

• Korean FA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006

See also

In Spanish: Seol Ki-hyeon para niños