Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9.10 2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Hynun-Yang shake hands after the game Photo INPHO Tom Maher
Q: How impressed were you when Hyunjun Yang came on? Because he pretty much hit the ground running when he came on the pitch?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, he’s done really well. He’s looking strong. He’s improving. Like you say, he came on and gave us that energy. The Champions League, in particular, is an arena where you need your squad. The level of physicality required is so big that you need those players that can come on and impact the game for you. I thought he did that really well.”
Q: Yang maybe goes under the radar a little bit in comparison with your other wingers. Given how well Kuhn and Maeda and you’ve got Jota coming in now. How good is that for him and his development, having that kind of competition? Is that taking him to another level?
Brendan Rodgers: “Well, I think that to improve as a player, if you’re playing and working and training with better players, then it will do. I think what Nicolas and Daizen have shown, what we want from wingers and what the possibilities are. If you get into the right positions, you can score goals. But he’s done great for us, Yang. He’s obviously a young player still developing and adapting to the culture and everything about the game here and the size of the club. But he’s made a valuable contribution for us this season. When he’s been asked to play, he’s done well. He knows and he wants to improve his numbers. And you can see in the last few games, he’s starting to affect games more. He’s a good guy who’s developed really well.”
Nicolas Kuhn at Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Aberdeen. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star
Q: Are you starting to think he’s got a big future at this club. Maybe six months ago or a year ago, people think he would be a loan deal somewhere.Maybe a crossroads in terms of his pathway here. But you’re starting to think now that he has got a big future here?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think it’s just timing. Really, it’s what he needs. Obviously, because of the intensity at which we play, we need to have four or five wingers around for all the games that we play. So it’s having guys that can contribute. It’s having to gauge whether he needs to go out and play and get the games to come back a better player, or whether he will improve being still in here and then playing, maybe not so regular, but getting those opportunities. So that’s always the balance. But we can definitely see improvement. We can see the strength in his game. For him, it’s about efficiency. You know, as a Celtic winger, you’re going to get lots of opportunities to score, to create goals. That’s where you get judged. What he also does, he presses the game. He works very, very hard. I like that side to him.”
Matteo Ruggeri of Atalanta BC is challenged by James Forrest of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between Atalanta BC and Celtic FC at Stadio di Bergamo on October 23, 2024 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Q: What about James Forrest? Is he inching closer to a return?
Brendan Rodgers: “He was out, he took his first day on the pitch yesterday. So he’s starting to move and jog. So hopefully in the coming weeks, he’ll be coming back.
Q: He came alive this time last year, didn’t he?
Brendan Rodgers: “I said that to him. In February and March, he came and saved the day. So he’s a brilliant player. And he made a great contribution at the beginning of the season for us as well. He’ll be a great addition when he comes back.”
Q: Is Tuesday a wee bit early for him?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, he’s nowhere near that. He’s just planting his foot out on the grass yesterday for the first time. So it’s going to be still a few weeks yet.”
