Yoon Young-geul

Yoon Young-geul
Yoon Young-geul playing for Gyeongju KHNP in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (1987-10-28) 28 October 1987
Place of birth Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Seoul WFC
2012–2016 Suwon UDC
2017–2021 Gyeongju KHNP
2022 AGF 1 (0)
2023 BK Häcken FF
International career‡
2004–2006 South Korea U20 7 (0)
2015–2023 South Korea 29 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 July 2023

Yoon Young-geul (Korean: 윤영글; born 28 October 1987) is a South Korean former footballer and coach who mostly played as a goalkeeper. With the South Korea national team, she participated at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[1]

Youth career

Yoon began playing football in the sixth grade of elementary school after a friend she met through taekwondo classes introduced her to a local football coach.[2] She progressed through the girls' football academies at Osan Middle School, Osan Girls' I.C.T. High School, and Yeoju University.[3] During her youth career, Yoon mostly played in various outfield positions, but she did play as goalkeeper for a short spell while at middle school.[3][4]

Club career

Early years: Seoul City WFC

Yoon was selected by Seoul City WFC at the women's works football new player draft in 2007, initially playing as a defender and midfielder.[5][6] When the WK League was launched in 2009, Yoon only made two league appearances for Seoul due to a knee injury which forced her to rest for most of the season.[4] After recovering from a knee surgery, Yoon began playing as a goalkeeper on the advice of coach Seo Jeong-ho, who told her that an outfield position would be worse for her knee.[7] In 2010, she played all minutes of all of Seoul City's WK League matches as goalkeeper, but after the season ended, at her request she returned to playing as a midfielder.[7]

Becoming established as a goalkeeper

In 2012, Yoon transferred to Suwon UDC, playing in an outfield role for one season before donning the gloves again when the team was short of goalkeepers.[6][8] This time, she found herself enjoying the role, and continued playing as goalkeeper for the rest of her career.[4] In 2017, Yoon moved to newly established team Gyeongju KHNP.[7][9] She considered retiring from football but was encouraged to continue playing and competing for a place in the national team by goalkeeping coach Kim Poong-joo.[10][11] As the oldest member of the squad, Yoon was a key player as KHNP qualified for the 2018 WK League championship final in only the second year since the club's foundation.[7][12][13] With Yoon as goalkeeper, Gyeongju qualified for the league playoff for four consecutive years, playing against her former club Suwon on all four occasions.[14]

Move to Europe

In 2022, she became the first female Korean goalkeeper to play in Europe when she signed with Danish side AGF Fodbold.[3] Dissatisfied with the limited number of opportunities to play, Yoon requested early termination of her contract with AGF after just a few months there, and the club agreed to release her.[15] The following year, she joined Swedish side BK Häcken on a six-month contract.[16][17] Yoon retired from her playing career in late 2023, without having played in a competitive fixture for Häcken.[6][18]

International career

Yoon first played for South Korea at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship as a defender.[2]

By this time playing as a goalkeeper, Yoon made her full international debut for South Korea in March 2015 at the Cyprus Cup in Scotland.[8] She was part of South Korea's squad at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup but as the third choice goalkeeper, she didn't play any matches at the tournament.[19][20] Yoon was the country's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, 2018 Asian Games, and 2019 EAFF E-1 Championship, but missed out on the 2019 World Cup due to an injury.[21][22] She finally achieved her dream of playing at a World Cup in 2023, appearing in South Korea's first group stage match in what would be her final appearance for the national team.[23] During her career she made 29 A match appearances for South Korea, conceding 15 goals.[23]

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Yoon initially stepped away from football despite colleagues and friends encouraging her to become a coach. In 2025 she returned to the sport, taking up a coaching position with the Gangwon State University women's football team.[24]

References

  1. ^ 2015 World Cup
  2. ^ a b Oh, Myeong-cheol; Jung, Seung-ri (3 January 2024). "은퇴한 '국대 GK 출신' 윤영글의 다음 목표는?" [What's next for Yoon Young-geul, retired former national team GK?]. Korea Football Association. Retrieved 23 December 2025 – via Naver.
  3. ^ a b c Kim, Chang-geum (7 March 2022). "국가대표 골키퍼 윤영글, 덴마크 여자축구 AGF 이적" [National team goalkeeper Yoon Young-geul transfers to Danish side AGF]. Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 22 December 2025 – via Nate.
  4. ^ a b c Wang, Chan-wook (21 September 2013). "윤영글, GK 장갑 낀 필드 플레이어" [Yoon Young-geul, the field player who put on goalkeeper gloves]. Sportal Korea. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  5. ^ "상무 축구, 황보람, 이예은 우선지명" [Sangmu WFC choose Hwang Bo-ram, Lee Ye-eun as priority draftees]. KBS News (in Korean). 28 November 2007. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Shin, In-sub (6 August 2023). ""축구선수 생활의 마침표를 찍으려 합니다" 여자축구 레전드 GK 윤영글, 은퇴 발표" ["I'm putting a full stop at the end of my football career" Women's football's legendary GK Yoon Young-geul announces retirement]. Inter Football (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d Yoon, Ji-young (30 October 2018). "창단 2년 만의 PO 이끈 '경주의 수호신' 윤영글" [Yoon Young-geul, the 'patron saint of Gyeongju' who has led the team to the playoff in just two years since foundation]. Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kim, Chang-geum (7 March 2022). "국가대표 골기퍼 윤영글, 덴마크 여자축구 AGF 이적" [National team goalkeeper Yoon Young-geul transfers to Danish women's football club AGF]. Hani. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  9. ^ Lim, Chae-hoon (25 July 2017). "경주한수원 GK 윤영글, 현실이 된 '농담 아닌 농담'" ['Joke that wasn't a joke' that became reality for Gyeongju KHNP GK Yoon Young-geul]. Sports W (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  10. ^ Jeon, Young-ji (24 April 2018). "'윤덕여호 제1키퍼'윤영글 꿈★이끈 '대우로얄즈 야신'김풍주 코치" ['Daewoo Royals Yashin' Coach Kim Poong-joo inspired 'Yoon Deok-yeo's first-choice keeper' Yoon Young-geul to dream]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  11. ^ Jeong, Young-ji (10 April 2018). "'센터백→제1골키퍼' 서른한살 윤영글, 다시 꿈꾸기 시작하다" ['From centre back to first goalkeeper' 31-year old Yoon Young-geul starts to dream again]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  12. ^ Ko, Mi-hye (23 April 2018). "'거미손' 윤영글, 'A매치 무실점'의 기운 WK리그까지 '쭉'" ['Spider hands' Yoon Young-geul brings A match clean sheet energy to the WK League]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  13. ^ Lee, Dong-chil (29 October 2018). "경주한수원, 여자축구 챔프전행…현대제철과 우승 다툼" [Gyeongju KHNP heading for women's football championship final... set to fight with Hyundai Steel for victory]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  14. ^ Noh, Man-young (11 November 2021). "'윤영글-추효주' 맞대결...4년 연속 PO대결 한수원 대 도시공사" [The 'Yoon Young-geul Choo Hyo-joo' battle... KHNP vs FMC for fourth consecutive playoff match]. MHN (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  15. ^ "아쉽게 마무리한 유럽 도전, 윤영글 "월드컵 위한 값진 경험"" [Yoon Young-geul, whose European challenge comes to an unfortunate end: "valuable experience for the World Cup"]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  16. ^ Jeon, Young-ji (30 January 2023). "'국대GK'윤영글,스웨덴 명문 BK헤켄행!"벨 감독님께 감사...목표는 오직 월드컵!"" ['Korea GK' Yoon Young-geul heading for renowned Swedish side BK! "Thanks to Colin Bell... I'm still aiming for the World Cup!"]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  17. ^ Hellgren, Tobias (30 January 2023). "Klart: Häcken värvar Yoon" [Done: Häcken sign Yoon]. Fotboll Skanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  18. ^ Pearson, Sebastian (17 August 2023). "Officiellt: Younggeul lämnar Häcken" [Official: Younggeul leaves Häcken]. Fotboll Skanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  19. ^ An, Gyeong-nam (6 August 2023). "여자월드컵 뛴 윤영글 골키퍼 은퇴 "선수 생활 마침표"" [Having competed at Women's World Cup, Yoon Young-geul retires "the end of my playing career"]. Newsis. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  20. ^ Jin, Young-ji (15 June 2015). "[女월드컵]윤영글'GK장갑에 새긴 여민지-신담영' 끝까지 함께!" [[Women's World Cup] GK Yoon Young-geul has Yeo Min-ji and Shin Dam-young etched into her gloves. Together to the end!]. Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  21. ^ Kim, Dong-chan (22 October 2021). "'선방쇼' 윤영글, 세계 최강 미국 감독도 "오늘 최고였다" 인정" [Even world-leading USA's manager admits "super saver" Yoon Young-geul was "today's best"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  22. ^ Yoo, Ji-seon (21 May 2019). ""자신 있게 하고 와"...부상 당한 윤영글, 후배 GK 응원온 사연" ["Play with confidence"... Injured Yoon Young-geul cheers on her GK colleagues]. Footballist (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  23. ^ a b Kim, Sung-jin (7 August 2023). "수비수에서 골키퍼, 국가대표 수문장까지... 윤영글은 언제나 '최선'을 다했다" [From defender to goalkeeper, to chief shotstopper for the national team... Yoon Young-geul always did her best]. Hansbiz (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  24. ^ Park, Jun-beom (21 June 2025). "강원도립대 코치로 '제2의 축구 인생' 시작한 윤영글 "지도자 안 하고 싶었는데, 결국 내가 잘하는 일은 축구더라"" [Yoon Young-geul, beginning her "second football life" as Gangwon State U coach: "I didn't want to be a coach, but in the end, football is what I do best"]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). Retrieved 23 December 2025 – via Nate.
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