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Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers (center) chases the ball during a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Dec. 9. (Yonhap) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced their new deal with South Korean international Hwang Hee-chan, keeping him on board until 2028 with an option for an extra year.
The deal was first reported by Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano early last week and then confirmed by Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil last Friday, before the club made it official Thursday.
Hwang leads Wolves this season with a career-high eight goals in the league and nine goals in all competitions. He is sixth overall in the Premier League in goals.
Hwang left the German side RB Leipzig to join Wolves on loan in the 2021-2022 season. In January 2022, Wolves exercised the option in Hwang's loan deal to sign him to a permanent deal on July that same year and keep him on board until 2026.
And the new deal will take the 27-year-old well into his 30s at Molineux.
"I'm really happy to stay at Wolves. I'm enjoying playing here and enjoying everything, life and football," Hwang was quoted as saying on the club's website. "I have very good teammates and players, and everything here is amazing. I just want to keep playing well and I'm ready to give everything."
Hwang thanked his teammates -- calling them "good friends and good brothers" -- for helping him score nine goals so far this season, and said he is not about to slow down.
"I'm not satisfied just with the new contract. Sometimes, I'm talking about our ambition with some players and we have the same ambition," he said. "I have more responsibility to win and I'm ready to fight for team."
Matt Hobbs, Wolves' sporting director, said Hwang has "always given everything for the club" since his arrival, through his share of ups and downs.
"Now, the fans are really appreciating what he's doing on the pitch. He's scoring goals and is an important part of Gary's team," Hobbs said. "It's fully deserved for what he's doing on and off the pitch."
On deciding to award Hwang with the extension, Hobbs said, "Form always dominates these sorts of decisions, but Hee-chan has bought into the club. He loves the area, and you can see the love he has for the fans. This fits really nicely and gives us some longevity with him on a longer contact, being such an important player for us."
"It shows that good players want to be here, during what's probably not been the smoothest time for the football club, going back to last season," Hobbs added. "But good players can see what's going on at Compton and what we're trying to build. We're resetting the club and moving forward again, and they want to be part of that project." (Yonhap)
