Ex-Sunderland cult hero announces retirement after 16-year career with Dortmund, Mainz and Augsburg
Former Sunderland striker Ji Dong-won has announced his retirement from football after a proud 16-year career.
Former Sunderland striker Ji Dong-won has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35, bringing a 16-year senior career to an end.
The South Korean confirmed his decision through an emotional Instagram statement after leaving Australian A-League side Macarthur FC at the end of last season.
Ji began his professional career with Jeonnam Dragons in 2010 after previously spending time training with Reading through a Korea Football Association development programme. Sunderland signed him for a fee reported to be above £1million in June 2011. He made 24 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats and scored twice, with both goals arriving during his first season in English football.
The most memorable came on New Year’s Day in 2012. Ji rounded Joe Hart and scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland defeated eventual Premier League champions Manchester City 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. His other Sunderland goal arrived during a 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea in September 2011. Ji came off the bench and struck in stoppage time, although his effort proved only a consolation.
First-team opportunities became limited after Steve Bruce was replaced by O’Neill, and Ji moved to Augsburg on loan in January 2013. He scored five Bundesliga goals during that spell and played a significant role in helping the German club avoid relegation. Sunderland sold him to Augsburg in January 2014 before his pre-arranged summer switch to Borussia Dortmund.
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Ji later moved to Germany, initially joining Augsburg on loan from Sunderland before returning to the club permanently. He also signed for Borussia Dortmund and had further spells with Darmstadt 98, Mainz 05 and Eintracht Braunschweig. The forward returned to South Korea with FC Seoul in 2021 and subsequently represented Suwon FC before joining Macarthur in Australia during 2025.
Ji also made 55 senior appearances for South Korea and scored 11 goals. He represented his country at the 2014 World Cup and was part of the side that secured a bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012, scoring during the quarter-final victory over Great Britain. His retirement closes a career spanning Jeonnam Dragons, Sunderland, Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund, Darmstadt, Mainz, Eintracht Braunschweig, FC Seoul, Suwon FC and Macarthur.
In a statement translated from Korean, Ji wrote: “Hello, this is footballer Ji Dong-won. Today, I would like to bring to an end the happy journey I began as a footballer in 2010. The time I spent in different countries and with different teams, along with the glorious moments I experienced with the national team, have left me with countless unforgettable memories.
“I will carry the excitement and burning passion I felt when I first began playing football and stepped onto the pitch as I live the rest of my life. I sincerely thank everyone who stayed alongside me, supported me and gave me so much love over such a long period. Please continue to give your warm support to Ji Dong-won as I begin a new life, rather than to Ji Dong-won the footballer.”