Lee Geum-min

Lee Geum-min (, or ; born 7 April 1994) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Birmingham City and the South Korea women's national team. She has previously played for Seoul City, Gyeongju KHNP, Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Club career Seoul WFC On 4 November 2014, Lee was drafted first overall by Seoul WFC. She made 18 appearances in the 2015 season, with six goals and two assists. The following season, she scored nine goals and registered four assists in 18 appearances. In her final season with Seoul, Lee scored eleven goals and had six assists in 21 appearances.

Gyeongju KHNP In 2018, Lee joined Gyeongju KHNP. On 23 April 2018, she made her debut in a 0–0 draw with Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels. On 14 May 2018, she scored twice in a 3–0 away victory against Changnyeong WFC. In her final game for Gyeongju KHNP, Lee scored a hat-trick as her team won 3–0 away at Boeun Sangmu, having previously scored two goals in the previous match, her last at home, a 5–2 win over Suwon UDC.

Manchester City On 7 August 2019, Manchester City announced they had signed Lee on a two-year contract. She made her Women's Super League (WSL) debut on 7 September 2019, coming on as a second-half substitute against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium; the match broke the league's attendance record at 31,213. Lee made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut and first City start in a 7–1 away win against Swiss team FF Lugano 1976 on 12 September 2019. She scored her first goal for Manchester City on 12 October 2019, coming on as a late substitute at home to Birmingham City to seal a 3–0 victory.

Loan to Brighton & Hove Albion On 24 July 2020, it was announced that Lee had joined WSL team Brighton & Hove Albion on loan for the 2020–21 season with head coach Hope Powell describing the signing as "a real coup." She made her debut for Brighton in the season opener, a 2–0 home win against Birmingham City on 6 September 2020. Lee made her FA Cup debut on 27 September 2020, starting in Brighton's quarter-final also against Birmingham City.

On 7 February 2021, Lee was part of the Brighton team that ended Chelsea's 33-match unbeaten run with a 2–1 victory for the Seagulls. Her first goal for Brighton, a header, came in the away fixture at Reading on 2 May 2021. Her second, a long-range hit, came just a minute later when she intercepted the ball from Reading's kick-off. The strike was described as an contender for WSL goal of the season. Lee then went on to score in Brighton's next fixture, an end-of-season game at home to Bristol.

Brighton & Hove Albion Lee transferred permanently to Brighton from Manchester City in August 2021. She scored for Albion in their 2021–22 season opener against West Ham United on 5 September 2021. It was her fourth goal in her last three WSL games, including the final two matches of the previous season.

Birmingham City In September 2024, Lee joined Women's Championship club Birmingham City on a two-year permanent deal for an undisclosed fee, subject to league and visa approval.

International career Lee was a member of the under-16 team that won the 2009 AFC U-16 Women's Championship and was in the under-17 team that claimed the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup the following year. She made two appearances at the 2011 AFC U-19 Women's Championship, scoring two goals against Australia in a 4–2 win. In 2013, she helped South Korea win the 2013 AFC U-19 Women's Championship and qualify for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Lee was selected by South Korea for the 2015 Women's World Cup and the 2019 Women's World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lee goal.

Honours Birmingham City Women's Super League 2: 2025–26

South Korea AFC U-16 Women's Championship: 2009 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: 2010 AFC U-19 Women's Championship: 2013