Lee Jong-ho (footballer, born 1992)

Lee Jong-ho (; born 24 February 1992) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Club career

Lee attended Gwangyang Jecheol High School, which had the under-18 club of Jeonnam Dragons. Known for his aggressive movement and accurate shot, he was nicknamed the "Gwangyang Rooney" during his schooldays. After graduating from high school, Lee signed a three-year contract with senior team on 24 February 2011. He made his Jeonnam debut in a 1Ã¢ÂÂ0 win over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the K League on 6 March 2011, coming on as a substitute for Nam Joon-jae. He played as a main player for the club since 2012, and became the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals in 2015.

After moving to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2016, Lee won the 2016 AFC Champions League, and scored a goal against Mamelodi Sundowns at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. However, he was not a main player at Jeonbuk, and left for Ulsan Hyundai to get more time on the field. He led Ulsan's 2Ã¢ÂÂ1 first leg win by having one goal and one assist in the 2017 Korean FA Cup final against Busan IPark. His club won its first Korean FA Cup title after the second leg ended in a goalless draw, but he suffered a fractured tibia in the middle of the match. He could play only three matches in 2018 due to the injury, and transferred to J2 League club V-Varen Nagasaki the next year.

In 2020, Lee returned to Jeonnam Dragons relegated to the K League 2 at the time. While captaining Jeonnam in 2021, he scored nine goals in 32 matches and helped his club win the 2021 Korean FA Cup. Despite these performances, he left the club without a contract extension before the 2022 season. Lastly, he played for Seongnam FC for two years before announcing his retirement on 12 March 2024.

International career

Lee provided three assists as well as scoring a hat-trick against Indonesia, while he led South Korea to the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship final. South Korea lost 2Ã¢ÂÂ1 to Iran in the final, but he received the Most Valuable Player award after the match. He also scored two goals at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Lee scored a goal after avoiding opponents' goalkeeper with his exquisite ball control in a 2Ã¢ÂÂ0 win over China at the 2015 EAFF Championship, where he made his senior international debut.