Jurgen Klinsmann was in attendance at Rugby Park yesterday afternoon to witness the Hoops put on a show in Ayrshire. The former Germany striker was over on a mission to watch his striker at international level, Hyeongyu Oh in action for Ange Postecoglou and his team. Having already praised the Celtic attacker in the past for his displays for South Korea, the legendary forward was even more pleased after watching Oh peform for the Bhoys.
Oh has been incrementally introduced to the first-team, much the same as his Asian comrades, Yuki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata. All three have been carefully placed in the side at various points, ensuring there is not too much pressure placed on their shoulders and they can grow and find their feet gradually. It’s been paying dividends so far, with all three beginning to show the Celtic supporters what they can each do if given the chance.
Oh got 45 minutes for the team yesterday afternoon and his manager at international level was delighted with his performance on the terrible surface at Killie. He said: “He’s a very special talent”, as reported by Daily Record. “I had him with me in the last two matches there when we played Colombia and Uruguay two weeks ago and he left a very, very positive impression. I was very, very impressed. He’s a good lad and a huge talent I think for Celtic and for us in the Korean national team.
“When you have the opportunity to play for a massive club like Celtic, it’s not easy for young players, obviously he’s fighting for minutes. But it’s a big learning curve and I can only recommend young players to come to Europe and give it a try, give it their best and see where it goes. He is part of the future. That’s why I am here. Obviously, I understand he is not always playing from the beginning, but we count upon him.
“He is learning a lot. He is learning every day in training, he is learning every minute that he is on the field, so we are very pleased with him. I came to Europe for a 10-day trip to see Korean players all over the place. I was at Spurs yesterday [Saturday] to see Sonny and now I get the chance to see a very young striker playing for Celtic. Hopefully he gets some minutes from Ange.”
With the famous striker adamant that Oh can reach the very top if he managed properly, it really does bode well for both the player and the club’s aspirations. The big man gives us something different to Kyogo and has real power in and around the box. With Ange coaching him at Lennoxtown and Jurgen Klinsmann training him at South Korea, the sky is the limit for his guy presently. Let’s hope he can continue to develop at Celtic Park and challenge Kyogo for a starting spot.
Paul Gillespie