Kim Seung-gyu

Kim Seung-gyu (Korean pronunciation: [kim.sɯŋ.ɡju]; born 30 September 1990) is a South Korean football player who played as a goalkeeper for the South Korea national football team and a Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol.

Club Career

Kim was a much-anticipated youth player of a South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai, and he joined the senior team with the draft system of K League after graduating middle school. However, he usually played in reserve team and high school team for a long time. While the main goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang was injured in 2013, he showed impressive performanced in important opportunity, and finally won the competition with existing player. He was also selected for the K League Best XI in that season.

In 2016, he opted to move abroad, playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan.

International Career

Kim Seung-gyu made his International debut for the senior team against Peru on 14 August 2013 in a goalless draw, keeping a clean sheet in his debut.

Kim was named in the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad as the second choice keeper behind Jung Sung-ryong. He did not play the first two games, but after Jung Sung-ryong's poor performance against Algeria he was selected to play against Belgium. He made numerous saves, but conceded one as Korea lost 1–0. Despite the loss, Kim was well praised by the fans for his performance, conceding only one goal against one of the top ranked teams in the world on his World Cup debut. Following the World Cup he was made the first choice keeper for the South Korea national football team.

Kim was named as a over-aged player for the South Korea under-23 national team to play in the 2014 Asian Games. Kim helped his team get a gold medal for the first time in 28 years. Kim conceded no goals in the six matches he played and was granted a military exemption. Due to his outstanding performance, he is compared to Korea's former goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae.

Kim was named in South Korea's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but the manager Shin

This page also has a version in other languages :  Ким Сын Гю (russian)