Ki Seong-yong (34), a veteran of FC Seoul, has no choice but to pay special attention to Oh Hyeon-gyu (22, Celtic), who is the same age as him. He follows his own path similarly.
Oh Hyun-kyu, who scored 13 goals, the most in the team while playing for Suwon Samsung in the 2022 K League 1, signed a five-year contract with the prestigious Celtic in Scotland on the 25th of last month. Oh Hyun-kyu is the third Korean player ever to join Celtic. The first was Ki Sung-yong 14 years ago.
Ki Seong-yong said in a written interview with Sports Kyunghyang before starting the field training in Kagoshima, Japan, “I think Hyun-gyu is a player with good potential. He doesn’t have much experience in the K-League, but I think he will show his own play.”
Oh Hyun-kyu, who signed a semi-professional contract with Suwon in 2019 while attending Maetan High School, debuted in his K-League and played in 11 games. He immediately joined Sangmu and finished his military service, and after being discharged, he immediately took the position of Suwon’s main player. Recognized for his goal-making ability, he accompanied the national team as a reserve player at the World Cup in Qatar last November. Although he was not able to stand on the World Cup stage, Celtic, who showed a steady interest in Oh Hyun-kyu, actively sent a love call right after the World Cup and the contract was concluded. Immediately after his contract, Hyungyu Oh said, “I have been dreaming of watching the players (Ki Sung-yong and Cha Doo-ri) who played for Celtic as a child. I am excited to be able to play with the emblem of such a team. I want to do well and achieve their goals even higher.”
Recognized for his competitive edge, Oh Hyun-kyu has been expanding his position within the team by participating in all three team matches, starting with his Celtic debut on the 30th of last month. He has no offensive points yet, but in the away game against St. Johnstone on the last 6 days, he even drew a penalty kick with the opponent sent off.
Ki Sung-yong said, “I don’t have a relationship with Hyeon-gyu, but I felt that he was a player with good physical and speed while playing together in the stadium. He showed confidence in his play and was confident,” he said of Oh Hyun-gyu’s first impression.
For Ki Sung-yueng, the memory of playing at Celtic, which was his first advance into Europe and a springboard, is bound to be special. Ki Sung-yueng, who joined Seoul in 2006 and played a total of 93 games (9 goals and 10 assists) in 4 seasons, joined Celtic in the 2009-2010 season and stepped on the European stage. Ki Sung-yueng made a big success with 11 goals and 15 assists in 87 matches over three seasons at Celtic, making his name known in the European big leagues. Ki Sung-yueng, who recalled his time at Celtic, said, “Celtic is a club with amazing fans. Every time I play, I can’t forget the atmosphere. It was a really good experience for me.” After entering the English Premier League, Ki Sung-yueng played eight more seasons in Swansea City, Sunderland, and Newcastle United before returning to his home team Seoul from mid-2020. 메이저놀이터
For Oh Hyeon-gyu, “everything, such as language, climate, and co-workers, has not been experienced, so various environmental aspects are inevitably difficult. He also left advice such as “It is necessary to calmly adapt to new things” and “An active attitude will work better in Europe than a passive one.” He continued, “I still kept in touch with Hyungyu. He told me to contact him anytime if he had any questions or difficulties.”
Ki Sung-yueng prepares for the fourth season after returning to the K-League. Due to the influence of the Corona 19 pandemic, I was training in winter weather in Korea, but this time I am raising my condition in warm Thailand (Huain) and Japan (Kagoshima). Ki Seong-yong said, “The off-season training in Thailand and Japan is a bit tiring. Still, it’s nice to be able to warm up in a warm place. My physical condition is fine,” he said. Ki Sung-yong did not forget the regret that his team had never made it to the Final A (1st to 6th place) after he joined. Ki Sung-yueng said, “I want to show a good performance without injury this season. While focusing a little more on my personal goals, I am doing my best to prepare for a fun and happy season.”