Hong: "This is a dream come true for me"

It has been a quick introduction for Hyunseok Hong at 1. FSV Mainz 05. Only two days after the recent signing’s official presentation as a 05er, he was starting his first game in the Bundesliga. Following his transfer to Mainz from Belgian top-flight side KAA Gent, Hong played 64 minutes in Stuttgart on his starting XI debut. The South Korean international was taken aback by his early introduction into the team. “I was surprised to go straight into the starting line-up for my first match. I wasn’t nervous before the game, but after 30 minutes it was a real struggle to battle in the heat,” Hong said, referring to the summery conditions of the match away from home. Despite a good performance on debut, he is aware of the step-up to the level of the Bundesliga. “I still need to get used to the kind of football that is played in the Bundesliga, mainly the pace of play,” added the 25-year-old when speaking to the media on Thursday.

A new beginning in Mainz

The attacking midfielder does not regret his decision to move to Mainz for a second. “I am very happy to be here in Mainz. This is a dream come true for me,” Hong said about his new club, adding that he was “immediately 100% certain” that he wanted to make the switch from Gent to play for Mainz in the Bundesliga. Any power of persuasion from compatriot Jae-Sung Lee was not even necessary, although Hong’s national team colleague has been an important figure in the new acquisition’s transition in Mainz. “It is really important for me that Jae-sung is also a part of the team. He is helping me a lot, so it is really great for me that he is here. We already went for dinner together and he invited me back to his house after the game against Stuttgart, for example,” the 25-year-old revealed about his first days in Mainz.

Prefers playing as a number ten

German football is nothing unfamiliar for the attacking midfielder, however. From 2018 until 2019, Hong featured for third-division club SpVgg Unterhaching. He then moved to Austria, where the South Korean international played until a transfer to Gent in 2022. At his previous clubs, the 25-year-old has been deployed in many different midfield roles, however over time a preferred position has emerged. “I favour playing as a number ten, and that is where I was mainly used in Gent.  In Austria, I was also having to play as a six or eight, but I feel that I’m at my best in the ten,” explained Hong regarding his favourite position on the pitch.