FMV: Tours Presents.. Ki Sung-Yong

Name: Ki Sung-Yong
D/O/B: 24/01/1989 (Age 21)
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Club: Celtic (Scotland)
International Caps: 18
International Goals: 4
Value: £725,000
Wages: £500 p/w

Background
Widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Asian football, the ‘Korean Gerrard’ is renowned for his vision and technique and the accuracy of his passing. During his time at FC Seoul, Ki received unanimous praise and became an integral part of the side. This led to him and fellow FC Seoul team-mate and rising star Lee Chung-Yong (now at Bolton) to recieve the collaborative nickname ‘Ssang Yong’ which, when translated, means ‘Double Dragon’. Ki’s move to Celtic was confirmed on the 1st of January this year, but it was a deal which had been arranged for some time. This means that on FM2010, he starts with FC Seoul but his impending transfer to Scotland is inevitable. Ki made his international debut in June 2008, and his ticket on the plane to South Africa seems pretty certain, having recently been told by the Korean Football Association not play in the 2009 U20 World Cup but instead to focus solely on the full international side.

Attributes

Strengths
Passing – 16
Flair – 16
Creativity – 16
Technique – 15
Bravery – 15

At just 20 years of age at the start of an FM2010 game, Ki’s stats are certainly impressive. Good passing, flair, creativity and technique mean he would be ideally suited to a playmaker role of some sort. Although he isn’t the best in the air, at 6’2 his presence would almost definitely be felt, even if he doesn’t get to the ball first.

Weaknesses
Long Throws – 2
Marking – 8
Tackling – 9
Off The Ball – 9

Ki’s stats are pretty strong all across the board, and apart from the four I’ve listed here, they’re all into double figures. The lack of ability in the Throwing department is not a surprise and for a Defensive Midfielder, the low tackling and marking is a slight worry. However, he is still very young and this could definitely be improved.

Positions
The options as to where to play Ki are pretty limited; it’s either Centre Midfield or Defensive Midfield really. I would probably play him in a ‘Deep Lying Playmaker’ role, but have someone alongside him who can win the ball, as he could be vulnerable when the opposition attack due to his low Tackling skills. But with more-than-acceptable creative attributes, Ki does have the ability to be a match-winner and to make things happen during the game.

Overall
Ki’s relatively imminent move to Celtic on the game would probably mean that you wouldn’t be able to sign him for a while, but this might be for the better as his attributes could improve. As with Park Joo-Young, Ki isn’t near the standard of a top Premier League side, yet, but would work well in a team, once again, like Fulham for example.
Recommended Rating: 7/10