From promising goalkeeper to budding coach, Kim Su-han's journey from Daejeon to Seoul, Osaka and back again

It's always a great shame, almost a tragedy, when a young player is forced to retire early. Take Kim Su-han for example, who was a promising young goalkeeper on the books of FC Seoul while in middle school, but persistent shoulder problems meant he was faced with a decision to make. 

Ultimately, Kim Su-han deci

From FC Seoul, to FC Osaka, and now his hometown club Daejeon Hana Citizen, Kim Su-han is currently the U15 goalkeeper coach at Daejeon, looking to bring his experiences in Japan and Korea to the next generation of shot-stoppers.

Who were your football heroes growing up?


At the time of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I was in the third grade of elementary school and by the time I started playing academy football, I had taken a liking to Spain and Real Madrid. Naturally, watching Iker Casillas, I wanted to make amazing saves like him and I remember playing as a goalkeeper in school competitions. Looking at Iker's posture and playing style I tried to copy him, I seem to remember doing that in training.

 

Were you always a goalkeeper?


When I was in the academy, I didn't stick to just one position but played in various different ones. Among them, I could feel how fun it was to in go in for tackles or one-on-ones while playing as a centre back. From then on, I think I developed a temperament as a goalkeeper.

In the fourth year of elementary school I played as a goalkeeper for the first time in a tournament at Harang University. I made more saves than I thought I would so felt confident and a lot of fun and joy. After that, from fifth grade, I started having specialised goalkeeper training and started to play as a goalkeeper as my fixed position.

 

You started at FC Seoul, when did you join their academy? How did you find out that FC Seoul had scouted you? Hearing that FC Seoul were interested must have been really nice to hear?


In January 2014, when I was playing in Daejeon Jungang FC under-12s academy, I played well in this tournament that we went on to win. Afterwards, I was at home resting, and then the academy manager called my dad and said that a few clubs, including FC Seoul, had made offers. 

I had to choose which team to go to and thought about it a lot but I decided to go to FC Seoul because my senior from Daejeon Jungnang U12s, Baek Jong-beom, had already joined FC Seoul U15s so I thought I'd be able to learn a lot and be part of a club with a good system in place, that's why I chose FC Seoul. I was really happy to join a big club like FC Seoul, and it was an opportunity for me to work hard and have the passion and motivation to work my way up to the first team. 

Who were your coaches at FC Seoul and who was in your team at that time who has played in K League or professional football?


When I was at FC Seoul U15s, Jung Sang-nam was the manager, Park Hyuk-soon was his assistant, with Cho Jun-ho as goalkeeper coach. All three had had long careers as professionals.

Because of that, the players properly listened to the coaches and felt like we were getting good coaching. Park Hyuk-soon in particular, who had a spell as caretaker manager of FC Seoul and a current scout with the club, as assistant manager, he was great with the mental side of things. 

I believe that, rather than just staying in the present, I was able to get a clear direction on how to prepare to become a professional player and set goals for myself. Goalkeeper coach Jo Jun-ho (currently the goalkeeper coach for the Malaysia national team) guided me both technically and mentally, and that was a period in which I made significant progress in my football career.

When I was at FC Seoul U18, I worked with Coach Cha Du-ri (former national team coach) and Coach Kim Jin-gyu (current coach of the national team). Both of them are legends of FC Seoul. Coach Cha Du-ri implemented a German-style training system, which I found very interesting. We did mini-passing games, shooting games, and he added options to make the drills more challenging, which made us think more intelligently. Of course, the tactical demands were high, so it was a bit confusing at first, but I think it was a time when I made a lot of progress.

Kim Su-han (C) was in the same youth team as Lee Tae-seok (L)

What was it like moving away from home at an early age?


When I was in my first year at FC Seoul U15 (middle school), it was really tough. It was the first time I was living away from home, and I was surrounded by players who were much more talented, so everyone had strong personalities. But in order to survive, I had to focus on training every day and take care of my body. As a result, I think that period helped me mature mentally and improve a lot in football.

Was it a difficult decision to leave FC Seoul?

After I left FC Seoul U18, I didn’t go straight to the professional ranks. But when I went to university, I because of the way the draft works, it wasn’t easy to move to another K League club. So, during my first year at university, I worked hard to pursue a move overseas. Among the options, I was most interested in Japan, and that’s how I ended up choosing FC Osaka.

Tell me about your time at Hannam University


At university, I learned a lot not only about football but also about life outside of football. I studied sports as my major, which I was interested in, so I worked hard on my studies. I also enjoyed getting to know other students and understanding their perspectives.

Until then, I had spent most of my time focusing on football, so I didn’t really understand other sports or the need for scientific approaches to training. Fortunately, through my university courses, I realized the importance of theoretical knowledge and learned to empathize with the efforts and mindsets of others.

The head coach at Hannam University, Park Gyu-seon (former Olympic national team coach), is the best leader I’ve worked with. He emphasized building from the back, and using the goalkeeper in the build-up play, and that helped me a lot. He coached me on short passes, and timing when trying to find a player with a pass, and his attention to detail was remarkable. I believe that his team model and football philosophy are key to success.

When you left Hannam you decided to go to Japan. Why Japan and why FC Osaka?


As I mentioned earlier, due to the priority draft system, it wasn’t easy to join another K League club. Also, during my high school years, I had developed a deep interest in Japanese football and the J.League. I often watched games and studied Japanese at school. For some reason, I was really intrigued by the Japanese playing style, and since my Japanese had improved, it felt natural to move to the J.League.

What’s the coaching like in Korea compared to Japan?


At the professional level, coaching styles are similar, but there are differences when it comes to youth development. In Korea, traditional drills and technical training are more common, which means many players get used to repetitive training. While there are benefits to this approach, it can sometimes focus too much on individual play, as many parents arrange private lessons for their children. Football, however, requires a variety of situations, and too much emphasis on one-on-one play can be limiting.

In Japan, there’s a lot of playing style-based training. There isn’t much stop-and-start coaching; instead, the emphasis is on training in match scenarios, helping players understand combination play and group defending. When I was in Japan, I saw many J.League, university, and high school teams training, and one commonality was that their coaching sessions weren’t too long. They provide the big-picture framework and then allow players to figure out situations and make decisions on their own.

Did you get homesick while in Japan?


I didn’t feel homesick, but I did come to appreciate life in Korea more. For example, in Korea, it’s easy to order daily necessities and food from Coupang, and credit card payments and bank transfers are accepted everywhere. When I first went to Japan to register my address, it took eight hours. The public transport system also posed challenges.

But from a football perspective, Japan is much better equipped in terms of its football infrastructure and system. When the lower leagues improve, the overall level of the league rises, and the national team benefits as well. I learned a lot from this.

There have always been a lot of Korean goalkeepers who moved to Japan. Why do you think that is?


Before going to Japan, I thought Korean goalkeepers were often chosen by foreign teams because of their height, agility, and good balance. But recently, Japan has also produced many tall and fast goalkeepers. Japanese goalkeepers even have good skills with their feet.

When I was playing for FC Osaka, I asked our goalkeeper coach, Yoshio-san, why Japanese teams prefer Korean goalkeepers. He said it was mainly because of the mentality. Korean goalkeepers are known for being mentally strong; even if they make a mistake or concede a goal, they can stay focused and hold the team together. Another reason is their leadership ability—they can take control of the atmosphere and lead their teams just by being on the field. These are qualities that Korean goalkeepers bring to the table.

Kim Su-han (R) with former Jeonbuk, Kashima Antlers goalkeeper Kwoun Sun-tae (L). Via Image via Kim Su-han Instagram

Did you speak to or meet many of the Korean players playing in J.League?

I ran into Kim Jin-hyun (Cerezo Osaka) by chance in Namba, Osaka. I spoke to him, asked him many questions, and he gave me a lot of advice.

I also got to know Kwon Kyung-won (former Gamba Osaka) through mutual acquaintances, and he often treated me to dinner. I was feeling exhausted and struggling with life in Japan at the time, but Kyung-won reached out to me first, and thanks to him, I was able to manage the difficulties of living in Japan.

What made you decide to retire and become a coach instead?


I had shoulder injuries since high school. Despite treatment and rehab, I couldn’t recover fully, since being a goalkeeper requires a lot of shoulder use. Even while playing in Japan, my shoulder condition was bad, and I had to rest often.

While I was still playing, I also started pursuing my coaching license, and I developed an interest in coaching. I had recorded all the training programs and coaching methods I had learned from my time at FC Seoul and the national youth teams, which I believe was a big advantage.

Then, at the end of last year, I found out that Daejeon Hana Citizen was looking for a U15 goalkeeper coach, and I decided to retire and sign a contract with the youth team in my hometown.

When did you start to do your coaching badges?


During last summer’s break from the J.League, I wanted to spend some meaningful time in Korea. I had always been interested in coaching methodologies, and I also wanted to study tactical analysis. So, I decided to go for the KFA C-license as a starting point. Once I started the course, I really enjoyed it and felt confident that I could do well.

When the coaching offer came from Daejeon Hana Citizen at the end of last year, I didn’t hesitate to accept it. I had other offers from clubs in Korea, but I was eager to work with young players, teach them, and help them grow. I knew that to be a good coach, I had to keep improving my own knowledge, so I’ve been studying hard for that purpose.

How did the move to Daejeon Hana Citizen happen? 


Daejeon Hana Citizen are my hometown team, and I had always dreamed of working with them. Even though I joined FC Seoul when I was in middle school, I had always thought that one day, I’d like to work for Daejeon Hana Citizen. When the opportunity came up, everything lined up perfectly, and I made the decision without hesitation.

Image via Kim Su-han Instagram

Who do you coach at the moment? Are there any players that could make it as professionals?


Currently, I coach the U15 team at Daejeon Hana Citizen, which is made up of middle school players. When I first joined the team and observed the players, I was impressed by the great potential many of them have. However, there are also areas that need improvement. One of the first things our coaching staff focused on was addressing the fluctuating attitudes toward training, which is common with younger players. We worked on helping them understand the principles and tactics behind the team’s playing model. For the goalkeepers I coach, we dedicated a lot of time to basic technical training.

As the season progressed, we participated in the K League Youth Championship, and our team ended up reaching the final, showing how much the overall team level improved. Overall, there are many talented players on the team, but if I were to highlight one player in my area of expertise as a goalkeeper coach, I’d say that Song Jung-jun (Daejeon Hana Citizen U15, No. 21) has exceptional talent. Physically, he is taller than most players in his age group, but he also has great balance. Over the course of the year, he showed significant improvement in his footwork. His positioning and reaction speed were also very impressive, and he ended up recording the most saves in the championship. He’s a player with a lot of potential, and I hope he continues to develop and reach top-level teams.

What are your aims as a coach? Would you like to be a head coach, or would you prefer to be a goalkeeping coach?

As a coach, my first goal is to become proficient in foreign languages like English and Japanese. I believe that with language skills, I would have the opportunity to work as a goalkeeper coach for teams overseas. My second goal is to gain more knowledge in fitness coaching. Ultimately, I think goalkeeper training and methods need to collaborate closely with physical training to help players develop.

I believe that I still have a lot of experience to gain and time to grow as a coach. My ultimate goal is to become an AFC goalkeeping instructor. I want to travel to different countries, analyze the unique characteristics of goalkeepers in each country, organize the best practices, and document various methods to help the development of Korean goalkeepers.

What do you think has changed about modern goalkeeping and how goalkeepers are coached now, compared to when you first started playing?


From when I was growing up, the trend in modern football has changed significantly. The key difference now is that goalkeepers are considered players in their own right. For example, in the past, the role of a goalkeeper was just to stop the ball from going into the net, so training was mainly focused on shot-stopping. Now, goalkeepers need to be involved in the build-up play, communicate with the team, and have skills for space control, among other things. Teams that use their goalkeeper effectively are stronger teams.

In particular, I think youth goalkeeper training has greatly improved and evolved. Nowadays, goalkeeper training should be based on technical, tactical, and physical elements. The first role of a goalkeeper is to stop the ball, but to do that well, they need to have good positioning and quick reactions, so specific training for that is necessary.

Second, to cover a wider area, goalkeepers need cognitive decision-making abilities, quick feet, and balance, which require cognitive and physical training. Third, to improve build-up play, goalkeepers need training that involves basic ball control, passing, kicking, and the ability to see the field well. There are also other aspects to train, such as crossing, 1v1 situations, and collaborating with defenders. For these reasons, I’ve organized my training into 10 main themes and implement periodic training sessions.

Modern football is demanding more and more from goalkeepers, and I need to adjust my training and feedback accordingly. I believe that results come from hard work, and it’s very rewarding. I will continue to strive to grow and develop as a coach.