Hyeongyu Oh has put his difficult spell at Celtic behind him since leaving Glasgow.
Brought to Glasgow by Ange Postecoglou in 2023, Oh never established himself as a starting striker, despite a decent scoring rate of one goal every 110 minutes.
Sold to Genk for £4.5 million after falling out of Brendan Rodgers’ plans, his value skyrocketed before his eventual move to Besiktas in January.
It’s fair to say that the switch has worked out; Oh is already a fan favourite with five goals in eight games. In an interview with Korean media this week, he reflected on his Celtic spell.
Hyeon-gyu Oh: overrated or underrated?
Hyeongyu Oh on homesickness at Celtic
Asked about his favourite song by JTBC, Oh took the opportunity to reflect on his time in Glasgow – and made a solid shout too, saying: “When I was at Celtic, there was a song I used to listen to quite often, especially when things got a bit tough.
“That was the song Take Me Home, Country Roads. I listened to a lot.
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“It gave me some comfort, and it often made me think about how much I wanted to go home. A lot, back then.
“And here I am, on my first trip to Europe all by myself. But listening to that music has really given me a boost, so I’d love for everyone to hear that song if I ever organise a gathering or make an impact in LA!”
Asked if he still listens to it, Oh said: “I haven’t really felt like listening to it lately.”
That answer is no surprise, given that he is now on top of the world at the Istanbul giants who are enjoying a resurgence after Sergen Yalcin.
A few weeks ago, thousands of Besiktas fans queued to meet Oh in an event which the club claimed to have made them almost £1 million.
It certainly beats sitting on the bench at Celtic, who were his first destination in Europe after a breakthrough season at Suwon Bluewings.
Despite the aforementioned ‘tough’ spells, he still thinks highly of the club, saying as much after he scored against Rangers in the Europa League earlier this season.
Hyeon-gyu Oh continues his storming start at Besiktas… he looks a different player!
Should Celtic have held on to Hyeon-gyu Oh?
Everyone is always an expert with the benefit of hindsight, but it certainly looks like Oh could’ve done with more playing time at Celtic.
But was it simply a case of right player, wrong time? Adam Idah may not have pulled up any trees after being signed permanently, but his goals during his loan spell were vital for Celtic’s push for a league and cup double.
Postecoglou was a huge fan of the Korean striker, starting him at Ibrox in May 2023. In that game, Oh hit the post, in what may have been a sliding doors moment in his Hoops career.
In fairness, throughout his 18 months in Glasgow, he faced the near-impossible task of displacing a free-scoring Kyogo Furuhashi in the starting XI.
But after he was linked with Premier League clubs prior to joining Besiktas, we could be seeing more of Oh in the near future.
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