Striker? Centerback? How does Ulsan use 'multi' Heo Yul?
Striker? Centerback? How does Ulsan use 'multi' Heo Yul?
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He is a tall (193 centimeters) striker who is good at defense. He is good at attacking. He is nicknamed "Ulsan HD" Heo Yul (24).
Heo Yul wore the Ulsan uniform through the winter transfer market. It was his first transfer since his debut as a professional player. He made his K-League debut as a member of Gwangju FC in the 2021 season. He played in 18 K-League 1 matches (two goals and one assist) in his first season, and in the 2022 season when Gwangju was demoted to K-League 2, he played in 33 matches and contributed to the promotion of his team with six goals and four assists.
Heo Yul's race continued. He played 165 K-League games from 2023 to 2024, and garnered five goals and three assists. As a result, he showed considerable interest not only in Europe but also in Japan and the Middle East.
What made Heo Yul stand out is his versatility. He has turned into a central defender since May last year. He had never experienced this before. Not only Kumho High School but also played as a striker until joining Gwangju.
Heo Yul was unfamiliar with the sudden change of position as he met the conditions of a good striker by banking on his strong physique and sharp left foot kick as well as the right to provide. Nevertheless, he chose to change his position in order to "survive." He accepted the change of position suggested by Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo, who judged that the growth of Heo Yul, the striker, has stopped.
I had a lot of work to do. I focused on image training. I watched video clips of plays by renowned European defenders such as Manchester City (England) defender Hoobeng Dias and tried to reflect them in their training and actual games.
As a result, Lee steadily improved his skills. He is stingy in judging certain players highly, but he did not spare any compliments, saying, "The price of a defender Heo Yul will be five times higher than that of a striker Heo Yul."
Ulsan, which has successfully won three consecutive K League 1 titles, also evaluated Heo Yul's value. However, the team first classified him as a striker. He is replacing veteran goaltender Joo Min-gyu, who left for the Daejeon Hana Citizen. "Huh Yul, who is committed to and has a sense of goal, can focus on the team's offense. Ulsan believes that the diversification of ball distribution routes will double the destructive power of the second line of offense and contribute to the distribution of opposing defense teams."
Still, he did not limit his role only to strikers. As generational change is underway across all positions, and changes are huge, it is hard to predict what role he will be assigned. "Heo-yul is highly valuable. He puts weight on strikers, but he also does not rule out second options," Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon said during a training camp for the winter season in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
"스포츠토토 I am well aware of Ulsan's new season's goal. I will do my best in winter training," said Heo Yul, who has mastered "opposite" positions, how to beat defenders and block strikers.