Kim Set To Explode
Grilled coach
Han Lik-Tsun declared the club's preparations for the new season largely complete, after the midfield was reinforced by the S$1.75 million addition of 31 year-old South Korean central man
Kyou-Chull Kim, from Italian Division Six club Raccattati Forelocks.
The highly-experienced Kim has done a tour of Europe, impressing previously in the Netherlands, Poland and Finland, after twenty-five caps for his national U-20 side. His reputation was such that a host of Italian sides vied with Grilled for him, among them Winners Algida, atl.juventus, LillinoFC and Real Marisdea. Sk Leiti Graz (Austrian Division Five) and Gualixines (Spanish Division Eight) were also in the running.
Widely tipped as a bona fide Asian superstar after goals against Scotland, Ivory Coast and Mexico at the U-20 level, Kim never quite lived up to that promise, and settled into a stable if undecorated professional life; he now senses a shot at a last hurrah. "This is good league at high level," he said in halting English. "and Birds are strong team. I will do my best."
Han praised Kim's impeccable fitness, which has been a hallmark of Korean footballers. "I was unhappy when we missed out on Icelandic international Matthías Fannarsson and Kim's former U-20 teammate Jae-Pyo Cho, but all was forgotten when Kim became available. I daresay we have a competitive midfield now."
Other names that had been linked with Grilled included versatile French attacker Dévotien Pidoux, Dijemir Skrapari of Albania, Orce Dzadzovski of Macedonia and Irishman Bay McGee. Former Grilled trainee Chen Cheng Yew was reportedly on the verge of rejoining his original club after a productive career abroad, but his nearly 34 years counted against him.
