Bae Joon-ho was named the club's player of the year after his first season in England.
"Bae Jun-ho has been selected as the player of the year for the 2023-24 season through a fan vote," Stoke said on its website on the 4th. "Playmaker Bae Joon-ho beat Bauter Würcher. He is only 20 years old, but he had a great debut season with Stoke."
Bae Joon-ho was a graduate of Pyeongtaek Jinwi FC, which dominated the high school stage. He immediately appeared in the K-League after graduating from high school. He has developed into a versatile offensive resource that covers both sides and center of Daejeon's uniforms. He became a professional by scoring one goal in 10 K-League 2 matches in the 2022 season, and showed off his talent by scoring two goals in 17 matches in last year's K-League 1.
Based on this, he was selected to the team's K League last month and played against Atletico Madrid, drawing favorable reviews from Diego Simeone.
He also made significant contributions in national teams by age. He contributed to advance to the semifinals as a key player at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina last year, which he participated in after being selected as a member of the U-20 national team. He also scored one goal and three assists throughout the tournament, making him one of the top 10 best goals scored by FIFA in the U-20 World Cup.
Stoke started recruiting Bae in the summer of last year. "Bae Jun-ho is a talented player who caught the eye of our power analysis team at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina this year," said then-Stoke Technical Director Ricky Martin, who led the recruitment. "I have high expectations for Bae's potential."
He has demonstrated his capabilities at once. He quickly adapted even in an unfamiliar environment, and posted two goals and six assists in 39 games. He was named the Player of the Month by the club three times and showed off his consistency. When receiving the Player of the Month award in February, the club officially recognized him as an ace by describing him as "the king of Stoke." With Bae's performance, his colleague Josh Roan called him a "magician," demonstrating his position in the squad.
With Bae Jun-ho at the forefront, Stoke successfully stayed in the Championship (minor league). Stoke, who remained in the relegation zone until the end of the season, has been undefeated in three recent consecutive games (two wins and one draw) and dramatically stayed in the zone. He will wrap up this season with a home game against Bristol City at 8:30 p.m. on the day. 토토사이트
