English Premier League (EPL) defender Ji-Ji Kim (20) of Brentford has gotten some first-team action.

Brentford drew 0-0 with Lille (France) in a preseason friendly at the Gitek Community Stadium in London, England, on Sept. 6 (KST).

Kim Ji-soo, who started the game on the bench, was substituted for first-choice defender Ben Mee in the 20th minute of the second half with the score tied at 0-0.

It was Kim’s first appearance for the first team in about a month, following a scrimmage against Boreham Wood (fifth division) last month.

This time, however, his appearance was different. Against Boreham, Brentford brought on all of their second team players at the start of the second half. Kim Ji-Soo took advantage of the opportunity and played the full 45 minutes.

The match against Lille was Brentford’s final warm-up before their 2023-24 English Premier League (EPL) opener against Tottenham on September 13. Most of the first-team players were on the field, with Kim getting a chance in the second half.

Kim Ji-soo earned a passing grade to start the season with a solid 25 minutes of action, keeping Lille scoreless.

Kim Ji-soo is a promising defender who starred at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina in June, helping South Korea reach the quarterfinals.

Following his performance at the U20 World Cup with his former club Seongnam FC, Kim signed a four-year contract with Brentford with one option year. Initially joining the Brentford B team (second team), Kim gained experience with the first team and traveled with them on their preseason schedule in the United States.

After not getting a chance to play in any of the three games in the United States, Kim appeared in a scrimmage ahead of the season opener, raising his chances of making his EPL debut in the new season.

If Kim is named to the roster for the EPL opener, he will face Son Heung-min (Tottenham) in the 2023-24 season opener. 고스톱 Kim previously played for Team Korea when Tottenham visited South Korea last summer.