Lee Geum-min (Korean: 이금민, Korean pronunciation: [i.ɡɯm.min] or [i] [kɯm.min]; born 7 April 1994) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a forward for the South Korea national team. She currently plays in the FA WSL for Brighton & Hove Albion having previously played for Manchester City.
![]() Lee with her Manchester City shirt in 2019 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Date of birth | (1994-04-07) 7 April 1994 (age 28) | ||
Place of birth | South Korea | ||
Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
Number | 9 | ||
Youth career | |||
Hyundai Info-Tech HS | |||
Ulsan College | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2017 | Seoul | 57 | (26) |
2018–2019 | Gyeongju KHNP | 36 | (21) |
2019–2021 | Manchester City | 3 | (1) |
2020–2021 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 17 | (3) |
2021– | Brighton & Hove Albion | 18 | (3) |
National team‡ | |||
2009–2010 | South Korea U17 | 11 | (3) |
2011–2014 | South Korea U20 | 15 | (6) |
2013– | South Korea | 73 | (20) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 October 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 Apr 2022 |
On 4 November 2014, Lee was drafted first overall by Seoul.[1] She finished the 2015 season with six goals and two assists in 18 appearances. The following season, she scored nine goals and registered four assists in 18 appearances. In her final season with Seoul, Lee scored eleven goals and had six assists in 21 appearances.[2]
In 2018, Lee joined Gyeongju KHNP.[3] On 23 April 2018, she made her debut in a 0–0 draw with Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels.[4] On 14 May 2018, she scored twice in a 3–0 away victory against Changnyeong.[5] In her final game for Gyeongju KHNP Lee scored a hat-trick as her team won 3–0 away at Boeun Sangmu, having previously scored two goals in the previous match, her last at home, a 5–2 win over Suwon.[6]
On 7 August 2019, Manchester City announced they had signed Lee on a two-year contract. A video of Lee dancing to a BTS song on her initiation gained over a quarter of a million views on Twitter.[7] Lee made her WSL debut for Manchester City on 7 September 2019 coming on as a second-half substitute against Manchester United at the Etihad. The match broke the record attendance for a WSL match at 31,213.[8] Lee made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut and first City start in a 7–1 away win at Swiss team FF Lugano 1976 on 12 September 2019.[9] Lee scored her first goal for Manchester City on 12 October 2019, coming on as a late substitute at home to Birmingham City to seal a 3–0 victory for City.[10]
On 24 July 2020 it was announced Lee had joined WSL team Brighton & Hove Albion on loan for the 2020–21 season with head coach Hope Powell describing the signing as "a real coup."[11] Lee made her debut for Brighton in the season opener, a 2–0 home win against Birmingham on Sept 6 2020.
Lee made her FA Cup debut on September 27, 2020, starting in Brighton's Quarter-Final also against Birmingham City.[12]
On 7 February 2021 Lee was part of the Brighton team that ended Chelsea's 33-match unbeaten run with a 2–1 victory for the Seagulls.[13] Her first goal for Brighton, a header, came in the Away fixture at Reading on 2 May 2021. Her second, a spectacular long-range hit, coming just 35 seconds later when she intercepted the ball from Reading's kick-off. It was described as an immediate contender for WSL goal of the season.[14] Lee then went on to score in Brighton's next fixture, an end-of-season game at home to Bristol.[15]
Lee signed for Brighton from Manchester City in August 2021.[16]
Lee was on target for Albion in their 2021/22 WSL season opener against West Ham, which was played at the Amex Stadium. It was the South Korean's fourth goal in her last three WSL games, including the final two matches of last season.[17]
Lee scored again at the Amex against Reading on 25 September 2022. She also provided an assist in the game when she unselfishly squared the ball for teammate Katie Robinson to score. Brighton won 2-1.[18] The following week she scored again with her debut goal in the League Cup. [19]
Lee was a member of the under-16 team that won the 2009 AFC U-16 Women's Championship and was in the under-17 squad that claimed the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup the following year.[20] She made two appearances at the 2011 AFC U-19 Women's Championship, scoring two goals against Australia in a 4–2 win. In 2013, she helped South Korea win the 2013 AFC U-19 Women's Championship and qualify for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[21] Lee was selected by South Korea for the 2015 Women's World Cup[22] and the 2019 Women's World Cup.[23]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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- | 13 April 2018 | King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
18. | 17 September 2021 | Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | ![]() | 3–0 | 12–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification |
19. | 6–0 | |||||
20. | 24 January 2022 | Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune, India | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | ChampionsLeague | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Manchester City | 2019–20 | FA WSL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2020–21 | FA WSL | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 3 | |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22 | FA WSL | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 2022–23 | FA WSL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | |
WSL Career total | 39 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 8 |
Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. – current squad | |
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