Nam Tae-hee
Nam Tae-hee (Hangul: 남태희; Hanja: 南泰熙; Korean pronunciation: [nam.tʰɛ̝.ɦi]; born 3 July 1991 in Busan) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos[2] and the South Korea national team. Besides South Korea, he has played in England, France, and Qatar.[3] He is a versatile midfielder and can play as attacking midfielder or central midfielder. He is known for his honed technique, smooth movement, and dribbling.
 Nam playing for Lekhwiya in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nam Tae-hee | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 July 1991[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Jinju, Gyeongnam, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Yokohama F. Marinos | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Hyundai Middle School (Youth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Hyundai hight School (Youth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Reading | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Valenciennes | 37 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Al-Duhail | 160 | (73) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Al-Sadd | 37 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Al-Duhail | 32 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | South Korea U17 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | South Korea U23 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011– | South Korea | 54 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 April 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 March 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nam Tae-hee | |
| Hangul | 남태희 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Nam Taehui |
| McCune–Reischauer | Nam T'aehŭi |
Club career
Nam played in the Reading's Youth Academy through KFA Youth Project.[4] In July 2009, his first professional contract signed in France with Valenciennes FC.[5] He played his debut on 8 August 2009 against AS Nancy and is currently the youngest Asian player to play in the Ligue 1 at age 18.[6]
In the winter break of the 2011–12 season, Nam agreed to leave Ligue 1 for Qatar Stars League giant Lekhwiya SC on 26 December 2011.[7]
Lekhwiya
Nam made his debut on 1 January 2012 against Al Kharitiyath.[8] He scored his first league goal from a free kick on 19 January 2012.[9]
He made his AFC Champions League debut on 7 March 2012, scoring the only goal against Saudi Al Ahli,[10] thereby scoring the first ever goal for Lekhwiya in any regional competition.
Al Sadd
On 8 February 2019, Al Sadd SC announced that they acquired Nam from fellow Qatari club Al-Duhail SC. Under their agreement, Nam will join Al Sadd in the 2019–20 season and will play for them for three years.[11]
Return to Al-Duhail
On 8 July 2021, Nam returned to Al-Duhail after two years.
On 30 July 2023, Al-Duhail confirmed that Nam would leave the club.[12]
Yokohama F. Marinos
On 1 August 2023, Nam signed with J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos.[13]
International career
Nam has represented South Korea at U-13, U-15 and U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels.[6] He made his debut for the Korean senior team on 9 February 2011 in a friendly against Turkey.
Nam represented South Korea at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He appeared as a substitute as Korea beat Japan in the bronze medal match at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.[14]
On 22 December 2014, Nam was named in South Korea's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup held in Australia.[15] In the team's second group match, Nam scored the only goal as Korea defeated Kuwait 1–0 to ensure qualification to the knockout stage.[16] On 20 November 2018, it was announced that Nam would miss the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the UAE after being ruled out for six months because of a knee injury.[17]
Career statistics
Club
Updated 15 April 2023.[18]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Other | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| France | League | Coupe de France | Coupe de la Ligue | Europe | Total | |||||||
| Valenciennes | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| Qatar | League | Emir of Qatar Cup | Other [lower-alpha 1] | Asia | Total | |||||||
| Lekhwiya Al-Duhail | 2011–12 | QSL | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 7 |
| 2012–13 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 34 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 38 | 15 | ||
| 2014–15 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 38 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 16 | ||
| 2016–17 | 25 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 20 | ||
| 2017–18 | 21 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 35 | 17 | ||
| 2018–19 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 7 | ||
| Total | 160 | 73 | 14 | 4 | 25 | 10 | 61 | 13 | 260 | 100 | ||
| Al-Sadd | 2019–20 | QSL | 19 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 31 | 12 | ||
| Total | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 68 | 18 | ||
| Al-Duhail | 2021-22 | QSL | 16 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 7 |
| 2022-23 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 8 | ||
| Total | 32 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 51 | 15 | ||
| Career Total | 266 | 94 | 27 | 9 | 45 | 15 | 82 | 15 | 420 | 137 | ||
- Includes Qatari Super Cup, Qatari Stars Cup, Qatar Cup and FIFA Club World Cup
International goals
- Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first.[19]
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 October 2014 | Cheonan Stadium, Cheonan, South Korea |  Paraguay | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 13 January 2015 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia |  Kuwait | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3. | 12 November 2015 | Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea |  Myanmar | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 15 November 2016 | Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea |  Uzbekistan | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 7 September 2018 | Goyang Stadium, Goyang, South Korea |  Costa Rica | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 6. | 20 November 2018 | QSAC, Brisbane, Australia | Uzbekistan | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 7. | 5 June 2021 | Goyang Stadium, Goyang, South Korea |  Turkmenistan | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Lekhwiya/Al-Duhail
- Qatar Stars League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2022-23 Qatar Stars League
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2016, 2018, 2022
- Sheikh Jassim Cup: 2015, 2016
- Qatar Cup: 2013, 2015, 2018
Al-Sadd
- Qatar Stars League: 2020–21
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2020, 2021
- Sheikh Jassim Cup: 2019
- Qatar Cup: 2020, 2021
South Korea U23
- Summer Olympics bronze medal: 2012
South Korea
- AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 2015
Individual
- Qatari Footballer of the Year: 2017[20]
- AFC Champions League All-Star Squad: 2018, 2019[21][22]
Background
Nam is hailed as the 'Korean Messi' by Valenciennes fans and has also been touted as a 'magician' and 'wonderkid'.[6] He was Most Valuable Player three times in his youth career in the National Championships in South Korea.[6] Nam became the youngest Korean footballer to play in a professional league in Europe as a result of this game.[6] He is known for his very energetic playing style.
References
- "FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019: List of Players: Al-Sadd SC" (PDF). FIFA. 5 December 2019. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2019.
- "ナム テヒ選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ". www.f-marinos.com (in Japanese). Yokohama F. Marinos. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- Nam Tae-Hee: I came to Qatar to gain more experience and improve qsl.qa
- "Nam Taehee – Reading FC". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
- KFA 유학생 출신 남태희' 발랑시엔 공식 입단KFA.com
- "Nam Tae-hee debütiert als jüngster koreanischer Fußballer bei einem europäischen Erstligisten" (in German). VfL Wolfsburg. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
- "Lekhwiya replace Akram with Korea's Nam Tae-Hee". Qatar Stars League. official website. 26 December 2011. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- "AL KHARITIYATH VS. LEKHWIYA 1 - 1". Soccerway.com. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
- "LEKHWIYA VS. AL AHLI 1 - 0". Soccerway.com. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
- "Nam stunner propels Lekhwiya". dohastadiumplusqatar.com. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
- "S. Korean footballer Nam Tae-hee joins new Qatari club". Yonhap News Agency. 8 February 2019.
- "The Korean Magician Leaves…". Al-Duhail SC. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- "ナム テヒ選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Yokohama F. Marinos. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- "South Korea 2-0 Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- "Few surprises as S. Korea announces roster for Asian Cup football tourney". Yonhap News. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- "South Korea survive scare from Kuwait with 1-0 win in Canberra". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- "S. Korea's key attacking midfielder to miss Asian Cup due to torn ACL". Yonhap News Agency. 22 November 2018.
- "Nam Tae-Hee - Profile".
- "Nam, Tae-Hee". National Football Teams.
- "Nam Tae Hee scoops QFA player of the year award". Qatar Stars League. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "AFC Champions League 2018 Technical Report". AFC. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "AFC Champions League 2019 Technical Report & Statistics". AFC. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
External links
- Nam Tae-hee – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
- Nam Tae-hee – National Team Stats at KFA (in Korean)
South Korea Squads | |||||||||||||
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