Hyeongyu Oh the World Cup hero as ex-Celtic man scores South Korea winner

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Hyeongyu Oh was the hero for South Korea as they came from behind to win their first match at the World Cup.

The ex-Celtic striker continues to hit the heights in what has been a stunning rise in profile since he left Glasgow just two years ago.

After Mexico kicked the tournament off with a 2-0 win over South Africa, South Korea and Czechia contested the other match in Guadalajara.

Like all good strikers, Oh scored at the most crucial time to earn the three points for his nation.

Hyeongyu Oh scores South Korea winner in 2-1 victory vs Czechia

Oh started the game on the bench, with manager Bohong Myung naming a starting XI without a recognised striker.

Celtic winger Hyunjun Yang remained an unused sub.

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After a goalless first-half, Wolves defender Ladislav Krejkci opened the scoring for the Czechs with a bullet header.

Their lead barely lasted for ten minutes, as Inbeom Hwang — once linked with Celtic under Neil Lennon — equalised after a stunning bit of footwork and composure, the goal of the tournament so far.

Oh was subbed on for national icon Heungmin Son shortly after, and with ten minutes to go, Hwang turned provider for the ex-Hoops man to grab an instinctive winner.

Back in January 2023, Oh was brought to Glasgow by Ange Postecoglou, with the then-Celtic boss saying that he and Mark Lawwell had spent hours watching him.

He ultimately never established himself as a starting striker, despite a decent scoring rate of one goal every 110 minutes.

The form of Kyogo Furuhashi was the initial reason for this, though Rodgers ultimately discarded him in favour of Adam Idah.

After moving to Genk for £3.5 million, the striker saw his value skyrocket, being denied a £20 million move to Stuttgart by a medical before making the switch to Turkey.

There, he is already a fan-favourite, becoming the first-ever Besiktas player to score in all of their first three games.

Hyeongyu Oh on his homesickness at Celtic

Oh recently reflected on his homesickness at Celtic, saying that he listened to a classic country song to help him deal with it.

“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.

“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.”