History of K League 1 Golden Boot Winners

In 2019 Adam Taggart became the first Australian to win the K League Golden Boot after bagging 20 goals for Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The Socceroo became an instant fan favourite at Big Bird, and has attracted interest from around Asia. Quite how Taggart will perform for the Bluewings in 2020 following his Golden Boot year remains to be seen but looking back at the previous Golden Boot winners from the 2010s, should Taggart beat his 2019 tally, the Perth native would only be the second player to do so.


The 2019 season was the final of K League campaign of the decade, a decade which saw golden boot winners from just four different nations: Korea, Montenegro, Brazil, and Australia. But, looking back at those who finished at the top of the K League scoring charts from 2010 to 2019, this study delves into what became of the decade's sharp shooters, where they ended up thereafter, and whether they were able to beat their tally.

2010

Yoo Byungsoo (21), Incheon United
- 28 appearances, 22 goals

Yoo in action for Hwaseong in the 2019 FA Cup. (Image via KFA) 

After bagging 37 goals in 67 appearances over two years, and winning the 2010 Golden Boot with 22 goals from 28 matches, Yoo Byungso departed K League for Al-Hilal in 2011. In two seasons with the Saudi club, Yoo scored 21 goals in 44 appearances before moving to the Russian Premier League with Rostov. The goals dried up somewhat for Yoo during his time in Russia, bagging just three in three years from 28 appearances. Since then, Yoo returned to Korea to complete military service with Gimpo Citizen and later with 2019 FA Cup Semi-finalists and K3 Advanced champions Hwaseong FC.

Remained in K League: No, Transferred to Al-Hillal midway through 2011
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: +10
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-13)
Team Final League Position: 11th

2011

Dejan Damjanović (29), FC Seoul
- 29 appearances, 24 goals

Dejan, pictured in 2016, during FC Seoul's run to the AFC Champions League semi-final. 

FC Seoul may not have been able to retained their K League Championship, but Montenegrin striker Dejan Damjanovic was able to finish the campaign as the league's top goalscorer. Seoul finished third and with a place in the K League Championship Playoffs but lost to Ulsan Hyundai by three goals to one in the first round. Dejan scored the last of his 24 goals that season in said defeat. The K League legend was set to go on and score even more the following year, the only Golden Boot winner to do so.

Remained in K League: Yes
Remained with Club: Yes
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+11)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: Yes (+7)
Team Final League Position: 3rd

2012

Dejan Damjanović (30), FC Seoul
- 42 appearances, 31 goals

Dejan (C) lifting the K League title in 2012 (image via fcseoulpics)

Winning the K League title, MVP award, Golden Boot, and a whole host of other accolades, Dejan set the K League 1 most goals record in 2012 with 31 from 42 appearances. It was an 'unbelievable' year for both Seoul and Dejan, as the Montenegrin exclaimed in a recent interview with K League United:

"[At] that time there need to be like seven or eight from FC Seoul - players in Best XI. That was not my opinion, that was opinion from all K League. We were like [a] dream team. They were saying like maybe two or three guys were unbelievable in other teams but that year needed to be more players from FC Seoul but I must understand this, and I must admit that we were taking so many awards: best scorer me, MVP me, Molina best player, Choi Yongsoo best coach, we took so many awards so I understand that we need to show respect to other K League teams."

[READ: In 2012 We Were Unbelievable | Dejan Damjanović]  

Remained in K League: Yes
Remained with Club: Yes
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+7)

Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-12)

Team Final League Position: 1st, K League Title Winners 

2013

Dejan Damjanović (31), FC Seoul
- 29 appearances, 19 goals

Dejan in ACL action against Suwon Bluewings for Beijing Guoan, May 2015. 

Winning the K League Golden Boot for a record third season in succession, Dejan bagged 19 goals in 29 appearances during what proved to be the final season of his first spell with FC Seoul. Dejan's form was enough to attract interest from the Chinese Super League and initially with Jiangsu Sainty before a move to Chinese capital with Beijing Guaon. Dejan returned to FC Seoul in 2016, spending two further years with the club. In 2016 Dejan bagged 13 league goals that season before scoring 19 in the league in his final year, 23 in all competitions, and left as the club's leading goalscorer.

Remained in K League: No, Transferred to Jiangsu Sainty (CSL)
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: No (-12)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-5)
Team Final League Position: 4th

2014

Santos (28), Suwon Bluewings
- 35 appearances, 14 goals

Santos celebrates scoring for Suwon against Incheon in October 2014. 

Santos' 14 goals in 2015 is a record low as a K League Golden Boot winner in the last decade but as a player who wasn't seen as an out-an-out striker, the figure is nonetheless impressive. Following on from his Golden Boot year, Santos scored 12 goals in both 2015 and 2016, and nine in 2017 before returning to his native Brazil with Chapecoense.

Remained in K League: Yes
Remained with Club: Yes
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+6)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-2)
Team Final League Position: 2nd, K League Classic Runners Up

2015

Kim Shinwook (26), Ulsan Hyundai
- 38 appearances, 18 goals

Kim Shinwook celebrates scoring for Ulsan against Jeonnam in September 2015. 

Towering centre forward Kim Shinwook came through the ranks at Ulsan Hyundai, breaking through in 2012 in the Horangi's AFC Champions League winning season. The 2015 K League Golden Boot technically wasn't Kim's first as the Korean international shared that crown with Dejan in 2013, both scoring 19 goals. Ironically, Kim's second best goal-scoring season was enough to earn him the Golden Boot and a subsequent move to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors a year later. Whilst with the Green Warriors, Kim won another AFC Champions League as well as two K League crowns before being reunited with Choi Kanghee at Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua. The 'Wookie' won the Chinese FA Cup, overcoming Shandong Luneng in a two leg final to set up a return to Ulsan in ACL Group F.

Remained in K League: Yes
Remained with Club: No, Transferred to Jeonbuk
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+9)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-11)
Team Final League Position: 7th

2016

Jung Jogook (32), Gwangju FC
- 31 appearances, 20 goals

Jung Jogook (C) celebrates a goal away to Suwon FC in April 2016. 

For the second year in a row, the K League Golden Boot winner came from a club which finished in the bottom half of the split after Kim Shinwook in 2015. In 2016 Gwangju FC's Jung Jogook lead the goal scoring charts with 20 goals after being snapped up by the Yellows following the former Marseille man's departure from FC Seoul in 2015. Jung went on to have a career best in front of goal in 2016 before moving to Gangwon where he remained until the end of 2019. It was announced in early January 2020 that Jung Jogook had joined recently relegated Jeju United.

Remained in K League: Yes
Remained with Club: No, Transferred to Gangwon
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+19)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-13)
Team Final League Position: 8th

2017

Johnathan (27), Suwon Bluewings
- 29 appearances, 22 goals

Johnathan was a fans' favourite at Big Bird but left for the Chinese Super League in 2018. 

Mercurial striker Johnathan joined Suwon midway through the 2016 season, helping to fire the Bluewings to safety after a brush with relegation, as well as the 2016 FA Cup with 10 goals in 14 league outings, and four goals in four FA Cup appearances. The following year, the Brazilian bagged 27 goals in all competitions, 22 of which came in the league. A transfer to Tianjin Teda followed where the 29 year-old remains to this day, despite persistent rumours of a return to K League ever since.

Remained in K League: No, Transferred to Tianjin Teda
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+12)
Team Final League Position: 3rd
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-12)

2018

Marcão (24), Gyeongnam FC
- 31 appearances, 26 goals

Marcão won back-to-back MVP Awards with Gyeongnam FC in 2017 and 2018. 

In a 12-team and 38-game season, Marcão holds the record for the most goals scored. The towering Brazilian fired Gyeongnam to the K League 2 title in 2017, bagging 22 goals from 32 appearances, before taking the top tier by storm the year after. The result of which was a big money move to the Chinese Super League with Hebei China Fortune. Whilst in Langfang, Marcão has a respectable goal tally of 11 goals in 20 starts, 26 appearances over all as the club finished 11th in the CSL. Hebei have had three managers since Marcão made the move across the Yellow Sea: Manuel Pellegrini, recently of English Premier League side West Ham United, former Wales National Team and Sunderland manager Chris Coleman, and Xie Feng, a former Beijing Guoan and Shenzhen FC defender.

Remained in K League: No, Transferred to Hebei China Fortune (CSL)
Better Goal Tally From Previous Season: Yes (+4)
Better Goal Tally Following Season: No (-15)
Team Final League Position: 2nd, K League 1 Runners Up 2018

Summary

Player	Season	Age	Apps	Goals	-1  Year	+1 Year	League Position	Stay club	Stay KL
Yoo Byungsoo	2010	21	28	22	+10	-13	11th	N	N
Dejan	2011	29	29	24	+11	+7	3rd	Y	Y
Dejan	2012	30	42	31	+7	-12	1st	Y	Y
Dejan	2013	31	29	19	-12	-5	4th	N	N
Santos	2014	28	35	14	+6	-2	2nd	Y	Y
Kim Shinwook	2015	26	38	18	+9	-11	7th	N	Y
Jung Jogook	2016	32	31	20	+19	-13	8th	N	Y
Johnathan	2017	27	29	22	+12	-12	3rd	N	N
Marcão	2018	24	31	26	+4	-15	2nd	N	N
Taggart	2019	26	33	20	+9	n/a	8th	Y	Y

• From the 10 Golden Boot winners throughout the 2010s, only four different nationalities have been represented: Korea, Montenegro, Brazil, and Australia.

• The average age of a K League Golden Boot winner in the 2010s is 27.4

• Yoo Byungsoo was the youngest at 21 in 2010. 

• Jung Jogook was the oldest at 32 in 2016.

• Only four Golden Boot winners have remained at their club the following season, two of these was Dejan Damjanović.

• Five of the 10 Golden Boot Winners have left the K League the following season.

• Only two have left to another K League club, Kim Shinwook in 2015, and Jung Jogook in 2016.

• Including 2019, nine of the 10 Golden Boot winners have bettered their previous season's tally.

• The average goal difference from the previous season is +9.

• Dejan Damjanović is the only Golden Boot winner to better his goal tally the following season having scored 24 in 2011 and 31 in 2012.

• The average goal deficit the following season is -10.375.

• Marcão of Gyeongnam in 2018 has the highest goal per game ratio of 0.84.

• Santos has the lowest with 0.4 goals per game with an average is 0.673 overall.

• Only one Golden Boot winner of the 2010s has won the K League title, Dejan in 2012.

• The average league position of a Golden Boot winner's team is 4.9.

• The lowest is Yoo Byungsoo who finished 11th with Incheon in 2010.