Jin Tae-ho (18, Jeonbuk) is not in a hurry.
Jeonbuk Hyundai played its first Group H match against Dynamic Hub Cebu FC in the 2024-2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, Philippines, at 9 p.m. on the 19th (Korea time) and won 6-0.
Jeonbuk, which easily gained three points, beat Muangtong United (1 point) and Selangor (1 point) to lead Group H.
Jin Tae-ho, who made his perfect professional debut with one goal and one assist in the game, was selected as a MOM (Man of the Match) and attended the press conference as a leading player.
“It was my first time playing in a professional game. I was nervous in the beginning because the ball didn’t come well, but I gained confidence as I scored fast. However, I was disappointed that I could not keep up with the hyung players’ tempo in the second half due to lack of stamina. I think I lacked concentration,” he said, expressing regret for the second half of the game.
When asked if he was nervous, he said, “I quickly adapted to the weather in Southeast Asia by playing in the U-17 event last year. I was actually nervous ahead of the match. (Lee) Jae-ik advised me to follow my usual practice because if I put too much thought into it, it might become difficult for me to play in the game.”
In addition to Jin Tae-ho, Seo Jeong-hyuk and Han Seok-jin from Youngsaeng High School participated as substitutes. “We didn’t have any special discussions about the game with the players from our school,” Jin said.
He added, “I told my friends (at half-time) that the score gap widened, so try as much as you want.”
Players born in 2006 are very popular in this season’s K-League. Yang Min-hyuk of Gangwon FC, who is attending Gangneung First High School, has already secured transfer to Tottenham Hotspur by scoring eight goals and five assists in this season’s league alone and scoring double-digit attack points.
Yoon Do-young of Daejeon Hana Citizen and Kang Joo-hyuk of FC Seoul, who are the same age as Yang Min-hyuk, are also quickly showing off their skills. Han Seok-jin, who is a year younger than them, is also quickly showing off his talent, raising expectations. 토토사이트
Maybe he is impatient with his friends’ outstanding performances. Jin said, “My friends (Yang) Min-hyuk, (Kang) Joo-hyuk, and (Yoon) Do-young are doing great in K League 1. I don’t fret about them.”
“On the contrary, I am preparing them with the mindset that ‘I can do it too’ while watching them. My goal is to prove my skills and make my K League 1 debut through such a competition. If I challenge myself with courage according to my age, the opportunity will come,” he said, adding that he will slowly prepare for the K League 1 stage.