“Young Gun” midfielder Bae Jun-ho has officially joined Stoke City of the English Professional Soccer Championship (second division).

Stoke City announced on their website on the 31st (KST), “We have signed Bae Jun-ho on a four-year contract. He will train with the team from today.”

“(Bae) is a talented player who caught the eye of our power analysis team at the recent U-20 World Cup in Argentina,” said Technical Director Ricky Martin, “and I’ve been watching his K League games this season.

“We are excited about his potential. We believe he will continue to improve as he gets used to the team and the English game.”

“I’ve always wanted to play in England, and it’s a dream come true,” Bae told the club, adding, “This is just the beginning. I will build a successful career with Stoke City.”

He also said through the ‘parent team’ K League 1 Daejeon Hana Citizen, “I was able to make my debut as a professional player here and achieve my first goal as a soccer player. I’m grateful to the club and Hana Financial Group for supporting me to reach for bigger goals.”

“I will do my best with the idea of representing Daejeon everywhere,” he added.

Bae Jun-ho, who turned 20 on August 21, is an attacking midfielder who started his professional career last year when he joined Daejeon, a K League 2 team.

He scored one goal in 10 appearances, including the playoffs, last season and has been given more opportunities this year after Daejeon was promoted to the top division. His record in K League 1 this season is two goals in 16 games.

Most notably, Bae made a name for himself at the U-20 World Cup in May-June this year, serving as Kim Eun-jung-ho’s “ace in the hole” and helping South Korea reach the quarterfinals for the second time in a row.

In the semifinal match against Italy, which went 1-2, he showed off his brilliant individual skills, earning praise from the opposing coach.

Stoke City played in the English Premier League (EPL) until the 2016-2017 season.

Last season, they finished 16th in the EFL Championship, and in the recently started 2023-2024 season, they are currently ranked 10th with two wins and two losses through the fourth round. 토토