Kim Do-hyuk, 31, of K League One’s Incheon United, is the club’s “one-club man” and a legend. Since joining Incheon in 2014, he has been with the team through the ups and downs of their struggles to stay up, as well as this year’s qualification for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL). “I will do my best to become a big player worthy of my big record,” says Kim, who has appeared in 238 matches (226 in the K League, 11 in the FA Cup, and one in the ACL) for Incheon, making him the club’s all-time most-capped player.
Kim started and played the full match against Ulsan Hyundai in the 22nd round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 (2-1 win) on March 12. It was his 232nd appearance for Incheon, breaking the club’s previous record for most appearances. After a slow start to the season, Incheon has now won five, drawn one and lost none of its last seven matches to move up to sixth place in the league (40-10W, 10D, 8L). Only two points separate them from third-placed Gwangju FC (42-11W, 9D, 8L). They are also in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Hana OneQ FA Cup, so they have a good chance of qualifying for the ACL for the second consecutive season.
“I made a lot of effort with my teammates to make sure the atmosphere was good regardless of the team’s ranking,” Kim Do-hyuk recently told SportsDongA. “At the beginning of the season, I struggled when I played as a wingback instead of my normal position of central midfielder. I was stressed because I couldn’t meet the team’s expectations, but I felt more responsible as I recently broke the club’s all-time record for most appearances.”
The club’s record for most appearances is a great honor for Kim. He has played double-digit games in 10 consecutive seasons since his professional debut, which speaks volumes about his integrity and self-management. It is even more valuable because he has never left Incheon except for the 2018 and 2019 seasons when he served his military duty with Asan Mugunghwa (now Chungnam Asan). Lim also praised Kim Do-hyuk, saying, “He has been an example to his teammates, and we expect him to continue to be the most traveled player in the club’s history.”토토사이트
Incheon has shed its image as a ‘stay-at-home king’ through the campaigns of the past two seasons. Both fan expectations and the club’s goals are much higher than in the past. Kim Do-hyuk, who is now an integral part of the club’s history, is no stranger to the changed atmosphere inside and outside the club. “Everyone in the club feels that the fans’ expectations have increased. “First of all, we need to get as high as possible in Group A (1st-6th) in the split round this season. We will play every remaining game as if it were our last.”