It’s fair to say that Hyeon-gyu Oh is enjoying life at Besiktas.
The former Celtic man made a £15 million move to Istanbul last month. Fast forward a few weeks, and he is the first ever Besiktas player to score in their first three games.
They were some goals too. Oh scored a stunning bicycle kick on his debut against Alanyaspor, and most recently against Goztepe, he rocketed the ball into the top corner, without the goalkeeper even diving.
He has already been catapulted into superstardom in Turkey, as shown by a remarkable meet-and-greet event on Thursday.
Hyeon-gyu Oh continues his storming start at Besiktas… he looks a different player!
Ex-Celtic man Hyeon-gyu Oh draws thousands to Besiktas event
A signing event saw literally thousands of Besiktas fans queuing up to meet the South Korea international for an autograph.
Reporting the event, Turkish outlet Fanatik said that Oh sold 10,000 jerseys on the day, making the club 50 million lira, or around £844,000.
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A video on Besiktas’ social channels showed a barely believable number of fans looking for a chance to meet the 24-year-old.
Via Fanatik, a Besiktas official said: “It was a truly beautiful day. We had planned this meeting for a long time.
“It would be a lie to say we didn’t expect such participation. We were hopeful, but seeing it in person was overwhelmingly joyful. Expectations don’t always come true, so we are sincerely grateful.”
Turkish fans are known for their fanatical support. Similar scenes were seen for the introductions of Radamel Falcao and Victor Osimhen at Galatasaray, as well as Mesut Ozil and Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce.
But for a striker deemed surplus to requirement at Celtic just two years ago, it’s a remarkable rise in status.
Oh could’ve faced Celtic in the colours of Stuttgart this week, but his £24 million summer move collapsed due to medical issues at the last minute.
As a result, he stayed at Genk for another six months, during which he scored a penalty at Ibrox on a night which saw him miss enough chances to score two hat-tricks.
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Oh was signed in the same January window as Tomoki Iwata and Yuki Kobayashi in Ange Postecoglou’s second season at Celtic.
Iwata is now with Birmingham in the Championship, alongside ex-Celts Kyogo Furuhashi and Patrick Roberts.
Kobayashi left Celtic for Portimonense in 2024, moving to Jagiellonia Bialystok ahead of this season. There, he was involved in a dramatic Conference League defeat to Fiorentina this month.
Also signed that season were Sead Haksabanovic, recently linked with a move to South Korea, and Oliver Abildgaard, now playing as a central defender for Sampdoria.
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