News Singapore Premier League • November 15, 2021
South Korean international striker Kim Shin-wook joins Lion City Sailors
Kim Shin Wook (Photo: Lion City Sailors)
SINGAPORE, 15 NOVEMBER 2021 – A new face will lead the Lion City Sailors attack in the 2022 AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL) season after the reigning champions announced the signing of Kim Shin-wook today.
The South Korean international, who has 16 goals in 56 caps, was confirmed as the Sailors’ first transfer for the 2022 campaign and comes with impressive credentials. With 132 goals in 350 appearances, Kim is the current third all-time top scorer in the K League 1 and has won two Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) titles, in addition to two K League 1 titles. The 1.98-metre player is expected to be the replacement for last season’s club top scorer, Stipe Plazibat, whose contract was not renewed. He will bolster the Sailors squad for their maiden ACL campaign next year.
Kim, who joins from Chinese Super League giants Shanghai Shenhua on a free transfer and has penned a three-year contract, said in a club statement: “The Sailors project is an ambitious one that is fast gaining momentum. I was presented with the vision that got the club to this point, as well as what’s in the pipeline for the years ahead, and I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it.
“I enjoyed my time in Shanghai Shenhua, and I’m grateful to the fans for all their support during the years I was at the club.
“I’m delighted for the opportunity to build something with the Sailors, and I’m looking forward to the exciting challenge in the years ahead.”
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Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon added: “Shin-wook brings with him characteristics that will help take our game to the next level, and I’m delighted that he found as much excitement in the Sailors project as I did when I joined. We are still a work in progress, but with the commitment from everyone at the club and the added boost that Shin-wook gives us, I’m confident that we will continue to get better.”
A defender during his youth days, Kim was converted to a striker a few weeks after signing his first professional contract with Ulsan Hyundai. During his seven years at the club, he amassed 111 goals in 273 matches, including six in 11 when he helped them to the 2012 ACL crown. In 2016, he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and spent four years there, scoring 51 times in 155 games as he won the 2016 ACL title and the K League 1 in 2017 and 2018. From 2019 to 2021, Kim spent time at Shanghai Shenhua and scored 14 goals in 27 matches, helping them to win the Chinese FA Cup in 2019. He has been a South Korean international since 2010 and was part of the squads for both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
