Pohang Steelers forward Jung Jae-hee is back after a six-month absence.
Jung made his comeback in the 34th round and first match of the final round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 against Incheon United at Pohang Steel Yard on Nov. 21. In the 20th minute of the first half, after a corner kick, Han Chan-hee’s shot was blocked by Incheon goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon, but he rebounded and slid it in with his left foot for a goal, which was called back due to offside.
“I think I was nervous, excited, and scared at the same time,” Jung said after the game, “It’s hard to say that my physical condition is 100 percent. I was cautious because I didn’t feel anxious while playing yet. The coach told me before the game, ‘I think you’ll score a goal, so try to take a lot of shots’. It’s a shame because it would have meant a lot to score in the comeback game.”
Jung Jae-hee is a flanker with speed and explosiveness. He moved to Pohang last season and scored two goals in the first six games of this season. Injury struck just as he was settling into Kim’s system. A hamstring injury. He was initially expected to return in the summer, but re-injured it again during rehabilitation, delaying his return. It’s been about six months since he last played against Gwangju FC (2-0 win) on April 8.
It was a longer rehabilitation than expected. During his rehabilitation, he was injured and rehabilitated again. “At first, I expected about four months. In July and August, I injured the same area while preparing for my comeback. After that, 메이저사이트 I rehabbed more slowly, and now I’m finally back,” he said.
Moreover, this is the first injury he has suffered in his professional career. “I’ve never taken more than a month off before. I never thought I’d have to take such a long break,” he said. “Watching the game, I was so annoyed that I couldn’t play on the field. I thought a lot about how I shouldn’t get injured again.”
In any case, Jung’s return was a blessing in disguise for Pohang. Pohang has been plagued by injuries in the second half of the season. On top of that, they have the Asian Champions League (ACL) and the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup to play for. On top of that, Jung Jae-hee has yet to play in the ACL. “I’m a soccer player, so I want to play, and I want to do well, and I want to help the team as much as possible. My simple goal this year is to finish the season without any injuries,” he emphasized.