Seo Young-jae Signs Deal with Hamburger SV
South Korea national team defensive player Seo Young-jae has signed a deal to join the Hamburger SV. Korea Joongang Daily reported on Thursday the three-year contract has been announced by the German sport club on Wednesday.
Seo performed well during a trial that impressed Hamburger SV's coach, Bruno Labbadia. The 20-year-old player will join the team's under-23.
He has spent three years with the South Korea national team, and has played for under-21 and under-23 levels with the latter led by coach Shin Tae-yong.
March of this year, Seo has played for Korea in 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers. He has appeared in four friendly games last May and June.
Hamburger SV is a former club of Son Heung-min. It has garnered six championships in German Bundesliga. The team first joined the league
Signing for Hamburger SV has made Seo the eighth Korean player to be playing in the German league.
Meanwhile, two Hamburger SV players have left the team last Tuesday. Petr Jiracek has inked a four-year deal to join the Sparta Prague. He has joined the German sport club on a four-year deal in 2012 from VfL Wolfdburg.
Reports have revealed that the head coach has given Jiracek the go signal even before his contract has ended, after losing his first-team position in the Hamburger SV.
Aside from Jiracek, midfielder Kerem Demirday has left the Hamburger SV to join the Fortuna Duesseldorf on loan for a season on Tuesday. 22-year-old Jiracek has also joined Kaiserslautern last season on loan where he recorded "one goal and setting up three more in 22 league games," according to USA Today on Tuesday.
