Full name Choi Tae-Uk Name Choi Tae-uk Career start 2000 Years Team Weight 68 kg | 1997–1999 Bupyeong High School Height 1.73 m Role Football player Position Midfielder | |
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Date of birth (1981-03-13) 13 March 1981 (age 34) Playing position Number 33 (FC Seoul / Midfielder), 32 (Ulsan Hyundai FC / Midfielder) | ||
Place of birth Incheon, South Korea | ||
Choi Tae-Uk (Korean: 최태욱; born 13 March 1981) is a retired South Korean football international player. He made his debut in the 2000 K League season.
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Career
Choi is a natural winger well known for his great speed. He was identified as a very promising talent in his childhood, and was selected by FC Seoul, then known as Anyang LG Cheetahs ] in the 2000 draft following his graduation from Bupyeong High School (which former Feyenoord player Lee Chun-Soo also attended). Despite his early promise, his professional career at FC Seoul was particularly successful, playing as a wingback together with then-teammate Lee Young-Pyo. After short spells playing for Incheon and J1 League side Shimizu S-Pulse, he joined Pohang Steelers. Although one of the better paid players at Pohang, Choi was not given much of a chance under Brazilian coach Sergio Farias. This was largely because the Steelers concentrated on midfield play rather than the sidelines, with playmaker André Luiz Tavares playing a significant role. Choi was usually fielded as a substitute. Following the conclusion of the 2007 season, he transferred to Jeonbuk in a swap deal with Kwon Jip and Kim Jung-Kyum. (Centerback Kim Sung-Keun was also part of the swap along with Choi.)
At international level, Choi was part of the South Korean 2004 Olympic football team. At the Olympics, South Korea finished second in Group A, making it through to the next round, but was defeated by eventual silver medal winners Paraguay. He was also a member of the 2002 World Cup Korea squad but spent most of the tournament on the bench.
He retired from football in 2015 due to an injury.