The real reason Brendan Rodgers started Hyunjun Yang in Celtic’s win at Partick Thistle

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Hyunjun Yang is a player who splits the opinion of many Celtic supporters.

The South Korean can be a frustrating player to watch at times and, in truth, he’s probably more impactful when coming off the Celtic bench.

Yang was given the nod at Firhill after Brendan Rodgers started the Celtic winger for the Premier Sports Cup tie against Partick Thistle.

And prior to the match, the Celtic boss explained why he decided to give the attacker a start even though he looked like he was leaving the Bhoys this summer.

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Brendan Rodgers says ‘aggressive’ Hyunjun Yang is ‘a real asset’ for Celtic

Yang makes most of his Celtic appearances from the bench as he struggles to stake a regular claim in the Hoops’ starting lineup.

And speaking about the South Korean’s surprise inclusion against Thistle, Rodgers explains the real reason behind the Celtic winger getting the nod at Firhill.

Rodgers told BBC Radio Scotland, “Well, I think that that side of the the field was an area that we didn’t quite strengthen how we wanted to.

“So I think the other two boys [Yang and Tounekti] will come in. Their best side is on the on the left side. So Yang has shown in lots of moments here at Celtic, that when he’s aggressive and strong and runs off the ball, then he can be a real asset for us.

“So that’s the idea today. But we also know that we have James [Forrest] to come into the game, who’s such a great reference for all our wingers, just in terms of his quality and how he can play.

“So we feel he can affect the game, but Yang starts to give us that energy and that youthfulness in the game.”

Hyunjun Yang’s Celtic stats so far this season

Yang has made seven appearances for Celtic across all competitions so far and has found himself in the starting line-up three times.

Here is how the South Korean winger has fared:

• Appearances: 7
• Minutes on the pitch: 362
• Average minutes per game: 51.7
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 0
• Average Fotmob rating: 6.86
• Best rated game for Celtic: vs Livingston (7.3)
• Worst rated game for Celtic: Away vs Kairat Almaty (5.6)

Yang still has plenty to prove at Celtic and after two years at the club, he’s not going to win over many extra fans.

After almost leaving Celtic in the summer, it appears Rodgers is using the player at the moment as a stop-gap until Jota is fit again so it would not be surprising to see Yang move on in January.