Kim Ji-soo (footballer)
South Korean footballer
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Kim Ji-soo (Korean: 김지수; born 24 December 2004) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Brentford.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 December 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Bucheon, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brentford | ||
| Number | 36 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2022 | Seongnam FC[note 1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Seongnam FC | 20 | (0) |
| 2023– | Brentford | 3 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | → 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2020 | South Korea U17 | 16 | (1) |
| 2023– | South Korea U20 | 11 | (0) |
| 2023– | South Korea U23 | 9 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 April 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22 September 2026 | |||
Club career
Seongnam FC
Kim joined the youth academy of Seongnam FC and worked his way up their youth categories.[1] On 7 February 2022, he signed his first semi-professional contract with the club ahead of the 2022 K League 1 season.[1] In doing so, he became the club's first ever semi-pro player, as well as their youngest registered player in the league that season.[2] On 18 October 2022, he was registered as a fully professional player.[3] He made 19 appearances in his debut season with Seongnam, earning interest from clubs abroad.[4]
Brentford
On 26 June 2023, Kim joined Premier League club Brentford for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract with the club, with an option for an additional year, and being assigned to the B team.[5][6] During a season at the B team, he was on the list of senior squad in eight Premier League matches, but did not make his senior debut.[7]
On 7 June 2024, Kim was officially promoted to the senior team,[8] becoming the first-ever Korean centre-back to be affiliated to a Premier League club.[9] He made his Premier League debut on 27 December, coming on as a 76th minute substitute for Ben Mee in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Loan to 1. FC Kaiserslautern
On 22 July 2025, Kim was loaned by 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Kaiserslautern, moving to Germany.[10] He could qualify as a homegrown player if he stayed in England for one more season, but he chose immediate experience on the field after manager Thomas Frank, who had asked him to stay at the club, left for Tottenham Hotspur.[11] However, Kim injured his thigh in a league match against Fortuna Düsseldorf on 2 November, and suffered a relapse two months after starting rehabilitation.[12]
International career
Kim is a youth international of South Korea, and played in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup and 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[13] He became one of the most notable players in the latter competition after helping his team reach the semi-finals.[14]
In August 2023, Kim received his first call-up to the South Korea senior national team by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, for two friendly matches against Wales and Saudi Arabia.[15][16]
Style of play
Kim is a centre-back who has power, height, and wide field of view. He is able to play with both feet, and is skilled in providing long-range passes. He has been frequently compared to Kim Min-jae in his country due to his playing style.[2][17]
Career statistics
- As of match played 17 April 2026[7]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Seongnam FC | 2022 | K League 1 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | K League 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| Brentford | 2024–25 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern (loan) | 2025–26 | 2. Bundesliga | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 18 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 40 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 | ||
Honours
Individual
- K League All-Star: 2022[18]
Notes
- Played for Seongnam FC U15 from 2017 to 2019, and Pungsaeng High School from 2020 to 2022, which were academies of Seongnam FC.