Wanderers have won every game in which Chung-Yong Lee has hit the back of the net this season – now South Korea’s golden boy is hoping his good luck will rub off on his national team-mates this summer.

Having seen his stock rise meteorically in his first season of English football, the 21-year-old winger will be hoping his Premier League form translates on to the international scene as the Taeguk Warriors head to South Africa with qualification from a tough group their minimum target.

Having experienced just three defeats in their last 39 outings, Huh Jung-Moo’s team head into their seventh successive finals as Asia’s only realistic hope of representation in the knockout stages.

But their reliance upon the attacking triumvirate of Chung-Yong, Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung and Celtic’s Ki Sung-Yong is well documented, and Wanderers’ player of the year knows expectation levels in his home country are rising on a daily basis.

“We have a great chance of reaching the knockout stages,” he said. “Our ability has grown dramatically because we have a lot of European-based players now – many more than we have had in the past.

“People do expect us to qualify for the last 16 back home because of this. The team is stronger now than it has been for many years.”

Standing in the way of success for Chung-Yong and his team are Group B favourites Argentina, and the rather more unpredictable quantities of Nigeria and Greece.

The clash with Nigeria sees the winger come face to face with team-mate Danny Shittu, who is expected to anchor the Super Eagles’ defence.

But while the big defender announced his intention to get physical against the likes of Lionel Messi – Chung-Yong doesn’t feel the same approach would work for him.

“People back home have asked whether I would try and injure him in training – but he is much bigger than me,” he told The Bolton News. “Even if I tried, I don’t think I could make a dent. Defensively, Danny is a great player. He has good physical condition and his heading might be the best in the Bolton squad.

“He is my friend and I look forward to seeing him in South Africa. I told him we are not the strongest team and that it would be a very even game between us.”

He added: “We have worked well as a team and we are used to winning games.

“I have grown up with the players in the squad and we know each other’s game very well.

“Argentina are, of course, the strongest team in the group. We will have to deal with Lionel Messi, but they have a very good squad of players too.

“Nigeria are also very strong, and I have said to Danny, whoever wins that game will probably go through. I just hope it is me.

“Greece have a good team as well, but we would hope to get at least a win and a draw from our three games in the group.”

Chung-Yong scored five times for Wanderers last season en route to claiming the club’s player of the year award last season. And his efforts were all the more impressive considering he had played virtually an entire campaign in the K League before making the £2.2million switch from FC Seoul to the Reebok last July.

An incredible 56 consecutive games later – and the 21-year-old is not letting another solid month of football faze him.

“It has been hard physically but I have enjoyed every game,” he said. “I have played a lot of games but I do feel ready for the World Cup.

“I played the last few weeks of the season at Bolton as a substitute. Of course, I wanted to play, but it means I have had a little more rest.

“I hope to go out there and do well for my country. It has been a great season for me.

“I’m not sure if I can score in the World Cup but every time I have done so for Bolton, we have won the game. Maybe that will continue.

“It is more important to me to create goals for my team-mates.

“It would be a lie to say I haven’t always dreamed of scoring in the World Cup – in fact, I would like to do so as much as I can.”