Yang Hyun-jun: From Fringe Player to Celtic Star
Yang Hyun-jun walked out of Paisley with the look of a player who now belongs at the heart of Celtic’s season. Not bad for someone who was almost out the door eight months ago.
Back in January, the winger seemed set for Birmingham City. Bags practically packed, future pointing towards the Championship. Then the move stalled, Martin O'Neill returned for a second spell in charge, and Yang stayed put. Celtic’s year changed. So did his.
Since then, he has gone from fringe option to one of the champions’ most reliable match-winners.
From almost gone to indispensable
O'Neill’s return coincided with Yang’s rise. The South Korean forced his way into the picture in the second half of last season, chipping in with crucial goals as Celtic drove towards a league and cup double. Ten goals and three assists told their own story, but the timing of them mattered just as much as the numbers.
By the summer, there was no debate. The 24-year-old signed new terms, a clear sign of how sharply his stock had risen inside the club. He has carried that momentum straight into this campaign.
Two goals and an assist in seven games so far only scratch the surface of his influence. He stretches games, isolates full-backs, and gives Celtic the width O'Neill’s system demands. On current form, he would be the first name pencilled in on the left flank every week.
A winner in Paisley, a problem for Celtic
His latest contribution came on Saturday evening at St Mirren. Tight game, tense finish, and then Yang decided it.
His winner sealed a 2-1 victory in Paisley and backed up his strike from Wednesday’s win over Aberdeen. Two goals in four days, both arriving just as Celtic needed someone to tilt the balance.
Callum McGregor did not bother hiding how significant that feels inside the dressing room.
"He is a really important part of the team," the captain told Sky Sports after the match. "He's a big player to miss, but obviously we wish him the best."
That last line matters. Because now Celtic must do without him.
Asia calls at the worst possible time
Yang will miss the next four games while on duty at the Asian Games. For South Korea, it is a major tournament. For Celtic, it is a headache.
He heads to Japan to face Qatar and Saudi Arabia in a group that will test his international credentials. Back home, the schedule does not ease.
Celtic go to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. Then comes a trip to Rangers in the League Cup quarter-finals, followed by a home Europa League tie against Ferencvaros and then an Old Firm league clash in Glasgow.
These are the kind of fixtures where reliable width and direct running from wide areas can decide titles and trophies. Yang has been providing exactly that.
A gap on the left and a challenge for O’Neill
O'Neill has built this version of Celtic with proper width as a non-negotiable. Wingers are not decoration in this team; they are the engine that drags opponents out of shape. On current evidence, Yang is the natural fit on the left.
Without him, someone else must carry that responsibility. The shape will likely stay the same. The question is whether the threat does.
Celtic have coped with big departures and absences before, but losing a winger in form, one who has just scored in back-to-back games, tests the depth of the squad at a delicate point in the calendar.
Yang, meanwhile, heads to the Asian Games as a player transformed from the one who almost left Glasgow in January. Celtic will watch from afar, hoping he returns sharp, confident, and ready to step straight back into a side that may, by then, have discovered just how much they rely on him.
