BRENDAN RODGERS might be diverting the spot-light onto his better half – but South Korean football fans are sitting up to take notice of Hyun-Jun Yang.
He’s one of THE form players in the SPFL Premiership – only eclipsed by team-mate Daizen Maeda over the past six weeks.
Brendan Rodgers has been delighted with the winger[/caption]
Only Daizen Maeda has been on a better run of form[/caption]
Korean boss Hong Myung-bo has been urged to take a closer look at the Celtic star[/caption]
The Japanese striker has had 12 goals and three assists in 10 games since the middle of January.
By contrast, Yang has fired five goals and five assists from seven games but less than HALF as many minutes.
And he changed the game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League showdown last month.
It is that impact which has his Korean countrymen tipping the Celtic sub for an international call-up – as well as a more regular starting spot for the Hoops.
Brendan Rodgers has been delighted with the winger – a bit-part player last season following his low-key summer arrival.
However the 22-year-old is beginning to make his mark, leading to calls for a Korean cap to add to his trio – and six for the under-23s
His country face Oman and Jordan later this month in World Cup qualifiers which they’re more than expected to win.
South Korea top their third round section with 14 points from six games and are ranked 23rd in the world. Oman are 80th and Jordan 64th.
If Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan doesn’t recover from his hamstring injury – sources in his homeland are touting the in-form Celtic star for a call.
Of course that might depend on his girlfriend as well.
Brendan Rodgers joked the influence of his girlfriend had inspired this run of form after his double against St Miren on Saturday.
Now, Korean journalist Paik Ji-Hwan says “a call-up would be a chance for Yang to leave his mark on the national squad, where he has yet to establish himself”.
Writing in Korea’s Joongang Daily, he went on: “Yang can execute a classic winger role for the national team on both flanks, although sealing a spot in the best XI entails competition against fellow Europe-based midfielders such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“But Hong also has the option to call up Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City in lieu of Hwang, as the Stoke midfielder picked up two assists in the October break and one goal in November last year.
“And there is another national team regular, Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain, who has the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder or winger in Hong’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
“A plethora of already-proven winger picks for Korea thus gives Hong a choice of utilizing Yang as a substitute, which would still mean further growing presence for the Celtic winger.”
Yang has started 11 games this season – subbed in for 16 other appearances for a total of five goals and six assists but completed just two games from start to finish.
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