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From Glasgow to Gyeonggi? Celtic's Yang Hyun-jun makes case for World Cup qualifier call-up

Published: 03 Mar. 2025, 14:50 Updated: 03 Mar. 2025, 16:53

PAIK JI-HWAN
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Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun celebrates during a Scottish Premiership match against St. Mirren in Scotland on March 1. [AP/YONHAP]

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun has transitioned from a benchwarmer to a threatening force in just a half season with four goals and five assists from the past seven fixtures. This may be a bright sign for the Korean national team ahead of the March international break.

Yang, 22, has not just seen more playing time in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign but has demonstrated improved attacking prowess that allowed Celtic to grab convincing wins recently, including a 5-2 victory over St. Mirren on Saturday, during which he racked up two goals and one assist.

Celtic manager Brendon Rodgers also praised Yang on Saturday and said that he is “adapting to the intensity and the pressure,” while adding that his girlfriend staying with him in Scotland has helped him perform better.

Yang’s recent form stands in stark contrast to the 2023-24 season, when he struggled to impose his presence and ended his first campaign with Celtic with just one goal and three assists across 31 appearances.

What skills has Yang demonstrated at Celtic, and how could his performance translate to the Korean national team?

Effective positioning with good headers

Saturday’s fixture against St. Mirren showcased Yang’s effective positioning skills with which he scored twice with headers.

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun scores during a Scottish Premiership match against St. Mirren in Scotland on March 1. [AP/YONHAP]

Playing as a left winger, he did not just pose a threat with pace on the left flank, but he made a quick run in the penalty area behind defenders and converted a cross with a header for his first goal. His second goal also came with a header.

His ability to constantly find spaces defenders left unguarded was visible in both goals.

His pace coupled with shooting ability that saw him find the back of the net in Saturday’s match — though it was ruled offside — also displays his talent as a classical left winger.

Diligent movement on the edge

Yang’s diligence on the flanks played a crucial role in Celtic’s dominant 5-0 win over Raith Rovers on Feb. 8, where he picked up one goal and two assists.

Yang did not stay in position but made continuous movement that allowed him to snatch the ball and give teammate Daizen Maeda enough space for a goal.

The Korean winger was always visible in the team’s attack during that game, making a tidy pass to set Maeda up during a counterattack for another goal and delivering quick crosses here and there to help teammate Luke McCowan get on the scoresheet.

Scoring with a volley himself in that fixture further proved that Yang is able to execute a more attacking role for Celtic.

Can Yang carry his performance to the Korean national team?

Yang’s improved performance comes before Korean national team boss Hong Myung-bo announces his roster for the March international break, during which Korea will face Oman and Jordan in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in matches in Goyang and Suwon in Gyeonggi on March 20 and 25, respectively.

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun, right, vies for the ball with Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Feb. 12. [AP/YONHAP]

A call-up would be a chance for Yang to leave his mark on the national squad, where he has yet to establish himself as a regular pick with zero goal contributions in three caps.

Yang can execute a classic winger role for the national team on both flanks, although sealing a spot in the best XI entails competition against fellow Europe-based midfielders such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The two Premier Leaguers have been key winger picks under Hong since the start of the third qualifying round last September and remain favorites to be selected for the March break, although Hwang’s availability is unclear as of press time Monday due to a hamstring injury.

But Hong also has the option to call up Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City in lieu of Hwang, as the Stoke midfielder picked up two assists in the October break and one goal in November last year.

And there is another national team regular, Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, who has the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder or winger in Hong’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

A plethora of already-proven winger picks for Korea thus gives Hong a choice of utilizing Yang as a substitute, which would still mean further growing presence for the Celtic winger.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]