Hwang Ui-jo joins Norwich City on one-year loan

Hwang Ui-jo joined Norwich City on a one-year loan on Friday, joining the Championship club after being sidelined by Nottingham Forest for the first few weeks of the new campaign.

Hwang Ui-jo poses in a Norwich City shirt in a photo released by the club on Friday. [NORWICH CITY]

Hwang Ui-jo joined Norwich City on a one-year loan on Friday, joining the Championship club after being sidelined by Nottingham Forest for the first few weeks of the new campaign.

Hwang’s arrival in Norwich marks the latest twist in what has been a tumultuous few years for the 31-year-old who went from top scorer at a Ligue 1 club to persona non grata in the Greek Super League in the space of a year, then pivoted to the K League before getting called back to warm Forest’s bench for the last month.

Norwich at least promises some stability.

"I am very excited,” Hwang said in a statement released by Norwich. “I want to help the team as much as I can. I can't wait to play.

"I spoke with the coach and I heard good things from him. They are pressing high a lot, and the forwards link the play, it's about hard-working and togetherness."

After a successful career in Korea and Japan, Hwang, a traditional out-in-front forward, moved to Europe with French club Bordeaux in 2019, becoming the club’s top scorer in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns. He was considered a top prospect in the French league at the time, with the official Ligue 1 website even repeatedly highlighting him as a player to watch in the transfer market.

But cash-strapped Bordeaux held on until it was too late, refusing to consider a deal until last summer when the club crashed into financial administration and faced the threat of double relegation.

Forest, who were in the middle of one of the biggest shopping sprees in European football history at the time, snapped Hwang up and immediately loaned him out to Greek club Olympiacos.

Hwang, in the middle of a difficult slump, struggled to adapt to the Super League club and ended up relegated to the bench and, ultimately, out of the squad completely. That loan ended in January, when Forest instead shipped him off to FC Seoul.

Back in the K League, Hwang began to find his feet again, scoring four goals and four assists in 18 appearances and again finding the back of the net for the national team — where he has 56 caps — as well.

Hwang was called back to Nottingham this summer, but apart from a few preseason appearances he has spent the time on the bench. The move to Norwich will likely bring far more playing chances.

“We had to be patient, but we are very happy that we can now welcome Hwang to our squad,” head coach David Wagner said.

“We wanted to give our group another option in the attacking areas following the injury to Josh [Sargent], so it makes us all very happy that we could find this solution.

“Hwang has great pedigree and experience at the very top level of both club and international football. We are excited by his quality and look forward to seeing him with our group.”

Hwang is now one of two Koreans playing in the Championship, alongside recent Stoke City signee Bae Jun-ho.

Hwang was not in the squad for Saturday’s 2-1 loss against Rotherham. He will join the squad after the international break starting Monday, where he will join the Korean national team as they take on Wales in Cardiff on Sept. 7 and Saudi Arabia in Newcastle on Sept. 12.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]