Yang Hyun-jun's Impact on Celtic's Season
Yang Hyun-jun walked into January with one foot out the Celtic door. He heads into autumn as one of the champions’ most important players.
Back then, Birmingham City looked like his next stop. A move down south was close, the kind that often quietly ends a short, tidy chapter in Glasgow. Instead, the winger stayed put, Martin O'Neill returned for a second spell in charge, and Yang’s season flipped. He delivered when it mattered most, scoring vital goals as Celtic drove through the finish line to secure a league and cup double.
No one at Celtic was shocked when the 24-year-old signed new terms in the summer. He had earned them. And he has picked up exactly where he left off.
On Saturday night in Paisley, Yang was the difference again. His winner in the 2-1 victory at St Mirren was his second goal of the campaign, coming hot on the heels of his first in midweek against Aberdeen. Two games, two goals, six points. The pattern is obvious.
Callum McGregor certainly sees it.
"He is a really important part of the team," the Celtic captain told Sky Sports after the win. "He's a big player to miss, but obviously we wish him the best."
Miss him they will. Yang is now heading off for international duty at the Asian Games and will sit out Celtic’s next four matches. On current form, that is a serious hole to plug.
His numbers underline why. This season, Yang has two goals and an assist in seven games, a sharp return that reflects a growing authority in the final third. Last term he hit double figures with 10 goals and added three assists, a haul that quietly marked him out as more than just a squad option.
This version of Celtic leans heavily on width. The wingers stretch the pitch, drag full-backs into awkward spaces, and open lanes for runners from midfield. In that structure, Yang is tailor-made. Were it not for his national-team call-up, he would be the obvious, almost automatic pick on the left.
Instead, South Korea now take centre stage for him. Later this month, they face Qatar and Saudi Arabia in Japan, a demanding schedule that explains why Celtic must plan without him for a crucial spell.
Back home, the fixtures do not ease up. Celtic head to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, then cross the city for a League Cup quarter-final against Rangers. After that comes a Europa League night at home to Ferencvaros, followed by a league Old Firm derby, again at Celtic Park.
Four games, three competitions, one glaring absence on the flank.
For a player who nearly slipped away in January, Yang Hyun-jun has left a sizeable imprint. The next fortnight will show just how deep it runs.
