About Kim Nam-il
Kim Nam-il (Korean: 김남일; Hanja: 金南一; born 14 March 1977) is a South Korean football manager and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder for the South Korea national team at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. == Early life and education == Kim began playing football when he was in third grade of elementary school. His decision to play football was initially met with opposition from his parents because of his impressive academic performance, but he continued his footballing career during his schooldays. At the 1996 AFC Youth Championship, he played for the South Korea under-20 team, and scored his first international goal against Iran. He was not selected as a participant at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, but was called up for the senior national team for the 1998 Asian Games by manager Huh Jung-moo. He made his senior international debut at the Asian Games. == Playing career == Under manager Guus Hiddink, Kim began to play for the national team in earnest. An unimpressive K League player at the time, he was criticised for his poor basic skills early in his international career. Over time, he became an irreplaceable defensive midfielder skilled at pre-empting opponents' counterattacks in Hiddink's belief.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.