Ki Sung-yong (34, FC Seoul) told Oh Hyeon-gyu (21, Celtic) the secret to success in living abroad.
On the 25th of last month, a new overseas striker was born. Oh Hyeon-gyu, who played for Suwon Samsung, advanced to the Scottish League by joining Celtic. Oh Hyun-gyu, who ranked 7th in scoring last season with 13 goals, drew attention as a reserve player accompanying the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Celtic highly valued Oh’s talent and potential. In the course of negotiations with Suwon, he continued to raise the transfer fee and showed his will to recruit Oh Hyun-gyu. In the end, a transfer fee of 3 million euros (approximately 4 billion won) was set, and Oh Hyun-kyu challenged the overseas stage for the first time.
Celtic is famous for the team that the ‘train duo’ Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Doo-ri played together in the past. Sung-yueng Ki made his professional debut in 2007 in Seoul. Ki Sung-yong, then 18, grew into the core of the team along with Lee Chung-yong (Ulsan Hyundai) and moved to Celtic three years later. Cha Doo-ri moved to Celtic in 2010 and became a teammate of Ki Sung-yueng.
Ki Sung-yueng had difficulties in his first season as he moved in the winter transfer market. However, from the next season, he showed his ability right away. In the 2010-11 season, he scored 5 goals and 3 assists in 35 games in all competitions, and in the 2011-12 season, he scored 7 goals and 6 assists in 42 games, becoming a key resource.
His strong performance at Celtic led to advancement to the English Premier League (EPL). Ki Sung-yueng moved to Swansea City in 2012. He played a central role for Swansea for six seasons, including a loan to Sunderland, and later returned to Seoul in the 2020 season after going through Newcastle and Mallorca.
For Oh Hyun-gyu, the meaning of the Celtic team was different. After transferring to Celtic, Oh Hyun-gyu said, “I saw Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Doo-ri playing for Celtic. They are players I respect, and now I am so happy to be playing in a Celtic uniform.”
Ki Seong-yong passed on the secret to success to Oh Hyeon-gyu. Seoul will conduct the second battery training in Kagoshima, Japan from the 6th.
Ki Seong-yong said through ‘My Daily’ before his departure, “When you go abroad for the first time, everything is a new environment. Both language and peers are different. (Oh) Hyeon-gyu is a friend who has confidence as well as his skills. If he adapts well, he will be able to take the next step with ease.” 메이저놀이터
He emphasized that the most important thing is not to miss the opportunity. Ki Sung-yong said, “When the opportunity to participate in the game comes, you have to show a good figure. If you show your skills, you will be recognized by your teammates and spectators. This part is the most important.”
Ki Sung-yong expressed his determination for the upcoming season along with his support for Oh Hyun-gyu. Ki Sung-yong said, “The first training went well. The weather in Thailand was warm, so there were no major problems, and I am doing well. I think I need to go to Kagoshima and improve it further through practice matches.”
“New players come and energize the team. He even came to (Hwang) Eui-jo, who could be of great help to the team. Of course, football isn’t just about having good players. Team organization needs to be refined, and winning mentality is more required. We have to fill a lot of tactical parts in Kagoshima,” he expressed his will.