Klinsmann’s son blocks Oh’s + Yang’s shots
American Jonathan Klinsmann, the son of South Korea national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann, could be in line to play alongside South Korean national team strikers Oh Hyun-gyu and Yang Hyun-joon.
Scottish Premiership side Hibernian are looking to sign Jonathan Klinsmann, according to Scottish media outlet Daily Record on May 5 (KST).
“Hibernian goalkeeper Jojo Olakot has left the club to represent Ghana at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Nations Cup. 38-year-old David Marshall is the first-choice keeper, but he’s in the twilight of his career and out of contract at the end of the season. Max Boruc hasn’t been playing well either,” explained Hibernian’s situation.
“Coach Nick Montgomery needs to find a new goalkeeper. He identified Jürgen Klinsmann’s son, Jonathan, who was born in Germany but is a US citizen and a free agent after leaving the LA Galaxy. He can sign with the Hibernians quickly and the other backup goalkeeper can leave to play more regularly.”
Jonathan was born in April 1997 in Munich, Germany, where his father, Jürgen, was playing for Bayern Munich (Germany). He grew up playing for the Gründwald and Munich youth teams, but moved to Orange County, California, in January 2010. He played junior high and high school soccer and then played collegiately for UC Berkeley.
From there, he earned a spot on the U.S. U-20 National Team and competed at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea. Jürgen traveled to South Korea to watch his son play.
After the World Cup, Jonathan moved to Hertha Berlin that summer. However, he failed to make his Bundesliga debut for Berlin and only made one start in the final match of the UEFA Europa League group stage against Österlund (Sweden).
After a free transfer to FC St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League in 2019, Jonathan became the No. 2 keeper behind another goalkeeper and moved to LA Galaxy in the summer of 2020, signing a three-year contract. Here, too, he struggled for playing time. His 10 MLS appearances in the 2023 season were the most of his adult career.
After the 2023 season, Jonathan became a free agent. His MLS career record is 17 games, 1459 minutes, 30 clean sheets, and five shutouts.
Hibernian, which is celebrating its 148th anniversary this year, was founded in Edinburgh in 1875 and has won four Scottish Premiership titles. Hibernian are currently in mid-table in the league in sixth place (W6 D7 L7 – 25 points).
If Jonathan were to move to Hibernian, he would likely face off in the league against South Korean national team strikers Oh Hyun-gyu and Yang Hyun-joon, who are both coached by their father Jürgen.
Oh and Yang have both been semi-regular players for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. If Jonathan’s move is confirmed, they could face Celtic at Hibernian on February 8. However, unless Klinsmann’s team is knocked out early, it will be difficult to stop Oh Hyun-gyu and Yang Hyun-joon’s shots right away. Klinsmann’s side will remain in Qatar until Feb. 13 if they reach the Asian Cup final.
Meanwhile, Jonathan has been in the news for having his father get him the jersey of Welsh legend Aaron Ramsey. During the Wales and South Korea A-match trial in September last year, Jurgen Klinsmann approached Ramsey after the game, which ended in a goalless draw, and took his jersey, sparking controversy in South Korea.
BBC Wales, the Welsh version of the British public broadcaster, reported Klinsmann’s post-match behavior on its official social media accounts on Aug. 8, saying, “Klinsmann has a big present for his son.”
According to the report, when asked in a post-match interview if he saw Ramsey trying to exchange jerseys with him after the game, Klinsmann said, “My son plays goalkeeper for the LA Galaxy. He texted me last afternoon and said, ‘Can you get me a Ramsey jersey,'” revealing that he was doing the jersey swap for his son.
It’s a perfectly understandable gesture out of respect for his son, but it’s not easy to understand given the South Korean team’s recent performances and results.
Furthermore, the fact that he went into the locker room after the game and approached Ramsey for a jersey after a disappointing result, even though he hadn’t asked for one, was enough to frustrate fans who saw it.