A National Team Debut Only I Didn't Know (2)
From that moment on, everything moved along at breakneck speed.
With the club officially in the off-season, Luton Town granted my release without hesitation, and I set about busily packing my bags for Korea.
"I was worried you'd be rotting away in the third tier, but an international call-up? Look at you, absolutely glowing."
"If you really thought I was going to rot away, you wouldn't have signed me in the first place. You sure have a silver tongue, hyung."
All the way until we reached Heathrow Airport, my agent, Park Woo-seung, chattered away as if he had a motor strapped to his lips. Known in his playing days as a rare Korean who had stubbornly survived in the EFL Championship for years, Woo-seung had turned to agent work following his retirement—and I was his very first client.
For the record, I was still his only one.
"An international debut has a completely different vibe from the league, so don't get too tense out there."
"Seriously, hyung. I'm not nervous. Not one bit."
"You completely went into hiding when you made your League One debut, too. And that was against a squad fighting off relegation."
"..."
Hitting me with cold, hard facts was just plain dirty.
"Still, two matches later I scored a brace and picked up Man of the Match..."
"That's because Manager Gordon is a living saint who kept faith in you even after that debut horror show. You think the national team coach is going to be that forgiving?"
This international window featured three consecutive fixtures against Turkmenistan, Japan, and Iran. In short, if I laid an egg against Turkmenistan, the odds of seeing the pitch against Japan were practically zero. No matter how much public goodwill Coach Reno enjoyed at the moment, the Korea-Japan derby was another animal entirely.
To make matters worse, every other forward called up to the squad plied their trade in Europe's top four leagues. Woo-seung's warning that opportunities would be scarce was entirely on the mark.
Coach Reno had held the reins of the national team since 2026. During the 2030 World Cup, he had famously toppled Italy to steer South Korea into their first Round of 16 since the tournament expanded, earning him a reputation as a master tactician. Of course, France had thoroughly dusted us in that Round of 16 match, but given the sheer gap in firepower, everyone had quietly agreed to give him a pass on that one.
"Anyway, once we get to the airport and board the plane, get some sleep. It's business class, so you'll be able to stretch out in comfort."
Before long, our car pulled up at Heathrow Airport. Woo-seung dashed off toward the duty-free shops to pick up a few things, while I killed some time in the lounge before boarding a little early. True to business class, the seat was wonderfully plush. I sank into the cushions, pulled the blanket up, and drifted off to sleep.
And that was my last memory.
"This is Suwon World Cup Stadium, the battleground for today's match between South Korea and Turkmenistan!"
"The weather is clear—ideal conditions for football. Hopefully, our players find the back of the net with every shot they take today!"
Suwon World Cup Stadium was packed to the brim with supporters. As an international friendly window taking place during the European off-season, every overseas star had answered the summons. Facing a relatively modest opponent on home soil, the crowd had turned out in droves, hungry for a festival of goals.
"Not nervous, are you?"
Lee Taeha, central midfielder and captain of the South Korean national team, glanced over at number twenty-nine, Lee Han, who was making his senior international debut.
"What's there to be nervous about? I just have to go out there and score."
Whether that poise came from bagging the Golden Boot in England's third division during his debut season or simply from being born fearless, Taeha didn't know. Either way, he welcomed the swagger.
"Just slide the ball cleanly along the ground to me. I'll turn it straight into a goal."
"Along the ground? Not early crosses?"
As captain, Taeha had thoroughly studied the newcomer's scouting report. Lee Han was renowned as the ultimate target man—a header-only specialist whose forehead was practically an artillery shell. Asking for passes to his feet felt entirely out of character.
"Just trust me this once."
"...Fine. It's your debut, and since you're standing tall with that much confidence, I'll back you up."
In truth, the clash with Turkmenistan served primarily as a tune-up before the showdown with Japan. Coach Reno had instructed the squad to express their individual flair rather than rigidly adhere to a stifling tactical blueprint. Having already received that directive, Taeha was more than happy to let Lee Han play however he pleased.
Still, the underlying structure of the team couldn't be overhauled on a whim. The first half was designed around crossing channels, meaning chances along the deck would be few and far between. It was a gamble. As a striker, failing to produce could see him hooked early, but seeing the boundless confidence radiating from the boy, Taeha decided his worries were premature.
"Well, this is unexpected! As the second half gets underway, South Korea has shifted from a 4-4-2 into a 4-1-4-1 formation!"
"What makes this change so surprising?"
"Coach Reno's starting lineup had a crystal-clear tactical identity: against a low-block Turkmenistan, push both wingers high and bombard the penalty area with relentless crosses. With our midfield enjoying a decisive qualitative advantage, the assumption was that a two-man pivot could control the center without being overrun."
Indeed, almost every highlight from the first half had stemmed from wingers whipping early crosses into the box or beating their markers off the dribble to loft deliveries inside.
"Kim Hyun-seung's opening goal in the twelfth minute was a textbook cross-and-header. In fact, South Korea has registered more than four times as many crosses as Turkmenistan so far."
"Precisely. It was an obvious rehearsal for breaking down deep defensive lines ahead of the final qualifiers. Yet coming out for the second half, Kim Hyun-seung and defensive midfielder Park Do-hyun have been withdrawn, replaced by central midfielder Son Seung-hyun and attacking midfielder Ahn Do-hyun."
"It looks like an attempt to test line-breaking runs and central penetration against a Turkmenistan side that has pushed their defensive line higher after falling behind."
"On paper, yes. But the presence of one player still on the pitch makes it hard to be certain."
"You mean Lee Han."
"Exactly. If penetrative runs behind the defense are the objective, he would normally be the very first candidate to be subbed off. Yet Coach Reno has kept him out there. It's difficult to fathom what the manager has in mind."
"Well, we have to trust the manager's instincts."
"Of course. Since it's a friendly, he appears keen to experiment with various tactical setups."
And right at that moment—
"Wait—look at that!"
"Lee Han—Lee Han is on the move! With a single touch, Lee Han completely turns both of Turkmenistan's defensive midfielders inside out! Did he always possess a first touch that exquisite?!"
Just as the commentator shouted, Turkmenistan's defense had crept upfield, leaving gaps that Lee Han exploited the instant the pass arrived. Cushioning the ball, he spun on his heel and exploded into a dead sprint. A center-back stepped up to challenge him, only for Han to drop him flat onto the turf with a blistering stepover.
"Lee Han! He bypasses two defenders and finds himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper! He needs to decide quickly!"
As the keeper crept off his line to close the angle, Lee Han wound up as if to unleash a thunderous strike.
Panicking, the keeper committed and threw his body into a desperate dive. In that exact fraction of a second, Han gently dragged the ball with his studs, casually stepping around the helpless keeper. Nothing stood between him and the net.
"Goal!! He rounds the keeper and literally walks the ball into the net! An unbelievable solo run from Lee Han! Pure, unadulterated brilliance!"
"In the blink of an eye, he toyed with four players—including the goalkeeper—before slotting it home!"
"Turkmenistan may have pushed up, but they still had two structured banks of defense! He ripped them apart through sheer individual quality to announce his international debut with a magnificent debut goal!"
A deafening roar swept through Suwon World Cup Stadium.
The players rushed toward Lee Han as he jogged away from the net, blowing finger-hearts to the ecstatic crowd, and scooped him up into their arms.
"You crazy bastard!"
"How on earth did you carve them open like that?!"
"Sitting the keeper down and dribbling straight into the goal? Just how massive are your balls?!"
Witnessing such outrageous footwork up close on the pitch had left them completely awestruck.
"Taeha-hyung, didn't I tell you to trust me? How's that for an assist?"
"I'd say about ninety percent of that goal belongs to my pass. You just picked up the scraps, Han."
"Whoa, look at our captain!" Ahn Do-hyun, who played alongside Lee Taeha at club level, shoved his way in and ruffled Han's hair vigorously. "Trying to rob a debutant of his glory just because you're wearing the armband?"
"Can't a guy joke around?! Anyway, incredible job! If you could dribble like that all along, why on earth haven't you been doing it in the league?"
"Because that was me doing it, and that other guy can't."
"What, do you have a domestic setting and an international setting now? What a character."
Taking his words as cheeky banter, the squad chuckled and jogged back toward their own half, lining up for Turkmenistan's restart.
"I'll feed you even cleaner passes from here on out," Taeha said, jogging beside him. "Since your dribbling is that sharp, you can drop a little deeper to receive, right?"
Having settled into the tempo of the match, Taeha could slice through Turkmenistan's lines at will. More than anything, he wanted to see the full extent of the youngster's ceiling. He wanted to understand firsthand why Coach Reno had insisted on keeping him on the pitch.
"Of course. That's even better. I'll make sure you get a hat-trick of assists, hyung. In return, I'm taking the match ball home with a hat-trick of goals, so don't you regret it."
"Listen to that mouth. Always talking, aren't you?"
Taeha smirked, but deep down, he genuinely hoped this audacious junior would bag his three goals and carry that ball away under his arm.
Peep, peep, peeeep!
"The final whistle blows! South Korea vs. Turkmenistan has concluded! A final score of six to nil! Blasting home five goals in the second half, South Korea leaves Turkmenistan with an unforgettable lesson!"
"What an utterly thrilling match. Lee Han's dribbling in the second half was an absolute visual feast."
"Lee Han dominated the entire second half, racking up three goals and two assists. And that stoppage-time strike to seal his hat-trick—an astonishing long-range wonder goal!"
"As someone who commentates on Championship fixtures, I have to say, he has never once shown this side of his game in England. It's completely unexpected."
"Come to think of it, back in League One, every single goal and assist he registered was scored with his head, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. It actually became quite a talking point—a professional forward who seemingly refused to use his feet! But seeing him today, it feels more like he only used his head because it was simply more convenient."
Of course, the caster didn't genuinely believe that for a second. Today, Lee Han had moved like Lionel Messi reincarnated, whereas in the league, calling him heavy-footed was an insult to heavy feet; he played as if his lower limbs were carved from solid timber. But after a debut performance of such spellbinding brilliance, who could utter a critical word? All they could do was eagerly anticipate what he would produce in the matches to come.
The national team bus glided through the streets and pulled up outside the team hotel.
"Han-ah, we're at the lodging."
Lee Taeha gently shook the shoulder of the boy who had been dead to the world in his seat.
"...Yes!"
"I said we're at the hotel. Go wash up and get some rest. We've got Japan in five days."
"...Who are you?"
"You ran yourself ragged out there and your brain hasn't even booted up yet. Go inside and sleep, you rascal."
"Yes."
"Stop just repeating 'yes' like a parrot and get off. The driver needs to park and turn in, too."
Still wearing a dazed, uncomprehending expression, Lee Han stumbled down the bus steps.
"...Where the hell am I?"
The airplane. What happened to the airplane?!