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THE legend of Bolton’s blue dragon started out as a fairytale and was turning into a tragic story of unfulfilled talent, yet recent events hint at Chung-Yong Lee’s odyssey at Wanderers extending into an extra chapter.
It hardly seems five minutes let alone five years that the Korean midfielder was falling asleep with jetlag on the bench as he waited for his first taste of English football.
That fresh-faced 21-year-old — picked up from FC Seoul for a then modest-looking £2.2million — took the Premier League by surprise. A huge future lay in wait.
Former Wanderers boss Owen Coyle was convinced Chung-Yong would not have looked out of place in any of the top-flight’s elite sides.
“He could go on and play for any team in the country,” he said, “He’s that good. He has everything in his locker.
“He’s got a footballing intelligence you can’t give.”
But as if a portent to the woes Wanderers were to experience that season, a serious double fracture suffered in a meaningless pre-season friendly at Newport County in late July 2011 cast a huge shadow on his career.
Despite battling back bravely to become a first-team regular in the Championship, the more agricultural football seemed to sap his spark. And as time ticked down on his contract, which ends next summer, many forecast a sad end for one of the club’s most popular characters.
But, after a virtually anonymous appearance in what proved Dougie Freedman’s last game at Fulham, Chung-Yong’s next outing proved to be like chalk and cheese.
Even more encouraging, however, has been his continued rise since Neil Lennon took over the reins just over a fortnight ago.
The Northern Irishman wasted no time moving him into a central position where he could have a far greater influence. The results have been instant and emphatic.
Lennon had heard what we had all feared for some time, that Chung-Yong’s horrific injury had removed something from his game for good.
“I’d heard he was a bit lightweight,” the Trotters boss admitted.
But as someone who invested heavily in the technical talents of Asian stars like Shunsuke Nakamura in his time at Celtic, he was keen to see what Chung-Yong could still offer. The early signs could not be more positive.
His star now back in the ascendancy, questions over his future beyond this summer are bound to surface.
Whether or not the club can financially keep hold of Chung-Yong, it is likely given the player’s respectful character that decisions will be made behind closed doors.
But while he is in the spotlight, no-one at Wanderers would begrudge “Chungy” a happy ending to his season’s story.
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It hardly seems five minutes let alone five years that the Korean midfielder was falling asleep with jetlag on the bench as he waited for his first taste of English football.
That fresh-faced 21-year-old — picked up from FC Seoul for a then modest-looking £2.2million — took the Premier League by surprise. A huge future lay in wait.
Former Wanderers boss Owen Coyle was convinced Chung-Yong would not have looked out of place in any of the top-flight’s elite sides.
“He could go on and play for any team in the country,” he said, “He’s that good. He has everything in his locker.
“He’s got a footballing intelligence you can’t give.”
But as if a portent to the woes Wanderers were to experience that season, a serious double fracture suffered in a meaningless pre-season friendly at Newport County in late July 2011 cast a huge shadow on his career.
Despite battling back bravely to become a first-team regular in the Championship, the more agricultural football seemed to sap his spark. And as time ticked down on his contract, which ends next summer, many forecast a sad end for one of the club’s most popular characters.
But, after a virtually anonymous appearance in what proved Dougie Freedman’s last game at Fulham, Chung-Yong’s next outing proved to be like chalk and cheese.
Even more encouraging, however, has been his continued rise since Neil Lennon took over the reins just over a fortnight ago.
The Northern Irishman wasted no time moving him into a central position where he could have a far greater influence. The results have been instant and emphatic.
Lennon had heard what we had all feared for some time, that Chung-Yong’s horrific injury had removed something from his game for good.
“I’d heard he was a bit lightweight,” the Trotters boss admitted.
But as someone who invested heavily in the technical talents of Asian stars like Shunsuke Nakamura in his time at Celtic, he was keen to see what Chung-Yong could still offer. The early signs could not be more positive.
His star now back in the ascendancy, questions over his future beyond this summer are bound to surface.
Whether or not the club can financially keep hold of Chung-Yong, it is likely given the player’s respectful character that decisions will be made behind closed doors.
But while he is in the spotlight, no-one at Wanderers would begrudge “Chungy” a happy ending to his season’s story.
Source