Nottingham Forest striker Hwang Ui-jo has admitted that his decision to leave Bordeaux in the summer is yet to pay off. The South Korean talisman was signed by the Reds and sent packing straight on a season-long loan to Greek champions Olympiacos.
The 30-year-old was in action for his country at the World Cup. He missed a glorious chance in his country’s first game of the competition against Uruguay. BBC pundit Danny Murphy slammed him as ‘awful’ for that miss and his chances were few and far between after.
Paulo Bento’s team did get through the round of 16, however. A 2-1 win over Portugal in their final group game ensured they set up a date with Brazil; knocking both Ghana and Uruguay out of the competition.
Ui-jo will now go back to Olympiacos where he will hope for a reprieve. He’s been out of favour since Michel replaced Carlos Corberan and has made just 11 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Now, he’s confessed that he’s been disappointed. He checked in from Bordeaux where he had been the main man and was scoring goals for the team.
He told South Korean outlet Sport Nate: “I was disappointed in the summer transfer market, but I couldn’t help it. I tried to make the best choice. There is nothing I can say. Of course, I dream of the World Cup in four years. I think that if I do my best every day, there will be good results.”
Forest striker Ui-jo disappointed by summer transfer window
You would likely get very short odds at the bookies for the South Korean to leave Forest without having ever played a game. He’s 30 now and if Forest stay in the Premier League it’s hard to imagine him getting a crack to shine at the City Ground.
Ui-jo isn’t getting the minutes he needs at Olympiacos and surely a change could be on the cards. If Forest are serious about the player proving himself then they simply need to send him somewhere else.
The striker looked like a pretty odd signing on the face of things. It was clear he’d head out on loan but ultimately, his age and past experience dictate that he’s unlikely to make a huge impact at Forest.
Ui-jo will be keen to park his miss at the World Cup. Sitting on the bench won’t help his case to do that and Evangelos Marinakis has a big decision to make in January.
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