Midfielder Kim Do-Heon is gunning for a goal to send a sold-out Hawthorns into raptures.
Yet even with thousands of Albion fans cheering him on, the South Korean star is revelling in the quiet life in England. The 26-year-old cannot move in his football-mad homeland without attracting the attention of adoring fans.
So even after making his Premier League debut at Arsenal six days ago, Kim is basking in his relative anonymity in the West Midlands.
He said: “In Korea I had a lot of things happening off the pitch. Moving to England has allowed me to focus on the football. After training I’m able to relax and focus on the football.
“I am well known in Korea and I can’t go anywhere. That gives me a lot of stress and it means I can’t go where I want to go. Luckily we don’t have any Paparazzi but people record you on their phone and put you straight out on the internet.
“People download videos or photos and slag you off. I have to be very careful. Not many people recognise me here. I am able to blend in and get on with my life.”
Some impressive pre-season performances and a solid outing at the Emirates Stadium suggest that Kim’s English profile could be on the rise.
Given the exposure afforded to all international footballers at home in Korea, Kim expects no problems dealing with a little more recogniton on the streets of the Black Country.
He said: “I’m not too worried if people recognise me in England because that means that I’m doing well.
“I’m used to it from Korea and if that happened then I’m sure I’d handle it well but I’m not expecting that level of exposure.”
In fact, Albion’s former World Cup star reckons he may not be the only Baggies player to be mobbed should the club touch down in South Korea any time soon.
While Albion’s profile in Asia has rarely been high, Kim reckons the presence of one of their own is bound to increase interest in the club among his countrymen.
He said: “People didn’t really know about West Bromwich before but since I’ve been here people have tried to find out more about the club. They search about it on the Internet.
“The profile of the club has gone up and they want to know more about the club and its reputation. If I perform well then I know more and more people will want to find out.
“If we do well in the Premier League then there will be many people in Asia, not just Korea, wanting the club’s shirts and other items.”
Kim clearly sees his first season at Albion as phase one of a mission on behalf of both himself and his country.
He believes the potential benefits of the £500,000 permanent move he made in the summer outweigh his own desire to be with his family.
He is yet to meet his new son, who was born a week ago, but plans are being drawn up for his wife and child to join him in the near future.
He said: “I want to be the role model for kids in Korea and if I do well in England it may give those kids an incentive to do what I’m doing now.
“I find it hard to be away from my family but this is worth it. So many people watch the Premier League and I know I have to perform well on the pitch. My wife and baby are still at home but will hopefully come to join me in a couple of months.”
Kim’s latest interview was again conducted through an interpreter but his weekly English lessons are paying off gradually. He now feels able to participate in the dressing room banter.
He said: “I love the atmosphere in the dressing room. I can’t speak English but I understand really well. When there is a joke going around the changing room I laugh with everyone. Everyone has been really nice to me since I came here.
“When Zoltan Gera was here I was room-mates with him and he really helped me through the hard times when I first arrived. All my other team-mates have helped me out and I appreciate that.”
Now Kim is preparing for his home Premier League debut against Everton. His sights are set on replicating some of the spectacular goals he bagged in pre-season.
He said: “When I played in Korea I usually scored from free-kicks or long-distance shots with my left or right foot.
“I’m comfortable shooting from distance and hopefully I will score a few in the Premier League. I watched the highlights of Everton’s first game.
“Yakubu and Arteta were quite impressive. But we are confident we can give Everton a good game.”
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