Biography
Who is Lee Young-pyo?
Early life and education
Lee Young-pyo was born on April 23, 1977, in Hongcheon County, South Korea. His family moved to Anyang in 1985. While attending Anyang Elementary School, he participated in athletics and placed eighth in a short-distance marathon held in Gyeonggi Province. A football coach noticed his speed and invited him to join the school team. Lee decided to play football because he preferred team sports over running alone.
He continued his education at Anyang Middle School and Anyang Technical High School, playing as a striker. In July 1995, he scored a goal in the final of the 14th KBS Cup autumn high-school tournament and earned the most valuable player award. The following month, he helped his school win the Baengnokgi national tournament. Shortly before university, he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from representing South Korea at younger levels.
Professional football career
In December 1999, the Anyang LG Cheetahs selected Lee with the first overall pick of the 2000 K League draft. Manager Cho Kwang-rae initially played him on the left flank but later used him as an attack-minded wing-back. He scored his first professional goal in a victory over Daejeon Citizen in July 2000. He helped Anyang win its first league title in ten years. In 2001, he made 22 league appearances and earned a spot in the K League Best XI.
In 2003, Lee joined PSV Eindhoven on loan under former South Korea manager Guus Hiddink. The move became permanent later that year. He helped PSV win two Eredivisie titles and the 2004–05 KNVB Cup. During the 2004–05 season, he played in all 14 of the club's Champions League matches, helping the team reach the semi-finals. He scored one goal and provided ten assists during that league season.
International career and post-playing work
Lee earned 127 caps for the South Korea national team between 1999 and 2011, scoring five goals. He appeared at three FIFA World Cups. During the 2002 tournament, he helped South Korea finish fourth and provided assists for winning goals against Portugal and Italy. He also helped his country finish third at the 2000 and 2011 AFC Asian Cups.
After retiring as a player, Lee became a football commentator for KBS. His forecasts during the 2014 FIFA World Cup earned him the nickname Octopus Young-pyo. He served as the chief executive of Gangwon FC from 2021 to 2022. Between 2021 and 2023, he worked as a vice-president of the Korea Football Association. In 2026, he was appointed as an outside director of Ulsan HD FC.
Birthday and age
Lee Young-pyo was born on April 23, 1977, which makes Lee 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Lee shares the date with 59 other famous people.
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