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Son Joon-ho nears return to the field... National team looks for final piece of the puzzle
After being detained by Chinese authorities for more than 10 months, former South Korean national soccer team midfielder Son Joon-ho is making his way back to the field through the amateur K5 League. The hope is that he can quickly regain his fitness and help ease the defensive midfield, a position of weakness for the Korean national team.
"Son Jun-ho is pushing to join Gunyung FC, which is a member of the K5 League," said Park Dae-yeon, the representative of NES, Son's agent, in a phone call with Newsis on the 14th.
After the K3 and K4 leagues, which are classified as semi-professional, the K5 League is the highest level of amateur leagues in Korea.
As Son hasn't played for more than 10 months, he's not at full strength, so he's likely planning to improve his fitness and practical experience in the less demanding K5 League before returning to the professional ranks in the upcoming summer transfer market.
Son, who plays for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Professional Football Super League, was detained by Chinese authorities on May 12 last year while returning home through Shanghai Hongqiao Airport on suspicion of harboring non-state actors.
It was speculated that Son may have been involved in match-fixing or that money was exchanged during his transfer to Shandong.
The player's camp has vehemently denied the allegations, and he was released in late March and returned to South Korea.
According to the Football Association's player registration rules, anyone who is serving a sentence of imprisonment or more, or is on probation, cannot register as a professional or recreational player.
It's unclear what exactly the Chinese authorities did to release Son, but if the KFA allows him to register, he could return to the field as soon as possible.
To help him get back on the field as quickly as possible, Son has reportedly been training while in detention, using calisthenics to maintain his professional weight.
If Son is able to return to form mentally and physically as planned by his camp, it will be a boon not only for the player but also for South Korean soccer.
The national team currently has a defensive midfield problem. Along with Hwang In-Beom (Zvezda), the team is looking for more stability in the midfield.
Chung Woo-young (Kalisz) was the centerpiece until the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, but he hasn't been able to find a suitable replacement.
Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) was used at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which concluded in Qatar in February, but he was unable to stabilize his form. He was left out of the squad for the two-match series against Thailand in March.
Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham) was the starter in the March squad under interim Olympic coach Hwang Sun-hong, but he was unable to build a solid midfield as defense is not his strong point.
Son Jun-ho has the ability to defend, but he also has a lot of energy and passing ability. Although he was never used due to detention, he is a proven resource that his predecessor, Jürgen Klinsmann (GER), was always looking for.
If Son can regain his form, the national team will have a steady force again.