New Celtic forward Hyeongyu Oh has said he’s ready to start if called upon by manager Ange Postecoglou. Oh was speaking, via the Glasgow Times, after Celtic’s 5-1 win over St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup.
The young South Korean came off the bench just after the hour mark, replacing Jota. Celtic were only leading by a single goal at that point before an onslaught in the final 15 minutes.
The visitors went down to 10 men after a lengthy VAR check, before Celtic scored four late goals. Oh scored Celtic’s third goal of the day, opening his account for the Hoops in his fourth substitute appearance.
The South Korean pounced on a mistake from St. Mirren’s goalkeeper, as he failed to hold onto Callum McGregor’s shot.
Celtic lost first-choice centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi to a shoulder injury in the first half of Saturday’s tie. Although he appears to have only been taken off as a precaution pending results of a scan, Ange Postecoglou may not want to risk him at the weekend.
It means Oh could be in line for his first Celtic start, and the 21-year-old has shared he’s ready to go.
MORE CELTIC STORIES
Oh confident he’s ready to start for Celtic
Speaking after opening his Celtic account at the weekend, the forward said: “I am ready to start the next match. I hope that Kyogo isn’t seriously injured because he is a very good team mate.
“It is also the decision of the manager. He will decide what is best for me and for the team. But I am ready.”
Oh has arrived at Parkhead off the back of an excellent season in South Korea with Suwon Bluewings. His seven goals in their final eight regular season games earned him an international debut in November.
Losing Furuhashi would be a big blow for Celtic, who will be hoping his injury isn’t as serious as first feared.
Oh will have some big shoes to fill if he is to start for Celtic on Saturday against Aberdeen. His poaching instincts appear to be very sharp judging by his goal at the weekend.
Postecoglou may not want to risk the Japanese forward if he’s not 100%, presenting Oh with the chance to make his full Celtic debut.
However, there are other options including playing Daizen Maeda through the middle and bringing in an alternative winger such as Liel Abada or Sead Haksabanovic.
In other news, “Buy their wife some flowers”; Ange Postecoglou’s latest one-liner sums up Celtic strength.