Kim departs for professional contract

Words: ACFC Media

Saturday 6 January 2018

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Dae Wook Kim has left Auckland City FC to take up a professional contract with K-League 2 outfit FC Anyang.

Kim joins goalkeeper Jeon Soon-Hyun and Brazilian striker Alex as the club's latest signings under coach Kim Jong-pil.

The 30-year-old defender won two NZFC titles, four OFC Champions League titles, two Charity Cups, the OFC President's Cup, Nike Lunar New Year Cup and appeared at three FIFA Club World Cups including the memorable run to third place in 2014.

Kim also scored a memorable goal against Kashima Antlers in the 2015 Club World Cup in a heroic 2-1 defeat when he headed home an Emiliano Tade free-kick.

Deployed as a central midfielder in his initial period with the Navy Blues, Kim struggled to hold down a starting slot after he suffered a serious ankle injury shortly after joining from Gyeongju KHNP.

Kim ran his own football academy for four years while at Kiwitea Street and coach Ramon Tribulietx wished him the best.

"Dae Wook Kim has been a very important player since he adapted and understood the way we want to play.

"At the beginning it wasn't easy with the language barrier but after a couple of seasons trying to fit him into midfield we decided he could bring more to the team further back.

"He had played there before in Korea and had the qualities we require our centrebacks to have, and that was the changing point for him in his performance for the club.

"He adapted very well and understood our ideas in possession, he was good in the short passing and also had the ability to hit diagonal balls; and all that was complemented with his quality on headers, a very powerful jump and very accurate header that provided us with some very important goals.

"As a person he is a quiet guy who worked very hard to adapt to New Zealand, he learnt english very quickly, not an easy task for anyone to adjust from an Asian language, he was very disciplined, easy to talk to, a very good guy, and very good in our dressing room as a team-mate.

"Dae Wook is a big loss for us and we hope that with the squad we have and the strength of our team we can continue to compete well no matter him going," Tribulietx said.

Dae Wook Kim joins a long list of players to leave Auckland City FC and sign a professional contract including most recently Clayton Lewis (Scunthorpe United), David Browne (PEC Zwolle) and Michael den Heijer (NEC Nijmegen) to name but a few.

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