The redemption of Hyunjun Yang is fast becoming one of the most compelling stories of the current campaign for Celtic.
Rewind back to the summer, Yang’s future in Glasgow looked entirely bleak.
Former boss Brendan Rodgers had seemingly made up his mind and wanted to sell the South Korean forward during the summer transfer window.
Despite the intense speculation linking him with a move to Birmingham City and a severe lack of playing time, Yang stayed to fight for his career, perhaps only because Celtic couldn’t find a replacement.
It was a frustrating period until Wilfried Nancy briefly took charge in October. Even during that infamously short managerial reign, the winger finally started to show real flashes of life and attacking intent.
Crucially, that momentum has not faded and has only accelerated under the current leadership of Martin O’Neill.
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Hyunjun Yang deserves his flowers after Celtic beat Motherwell
Celtic’s 3-1 win over Motherwell provided the ultimate, undeniable proof of Yang’s remarkable revival.
In a tense and highly pressured environment, Yang delivered a match-winning brace to secure a vital victory in Celtic’s title tussle.
The all-action winger is no longer a peripheral figure waiting on the fringes. He is now actively stepping up and dragging his team over the line in massive games, making those summer transfer doubts look incredibly foolish.
And it’s quite amazing that all of this started under Nancy, because it was the Frenchman who began playing Yang regularly.
Yang’s stats under Brendan Rodgers compared to when he left
The raw numbers highlight exactly why Yang is enjoying a Celtic renaissance.
Under Rodgers, the £2 million winger was largely reduced to a rotational role. He managed just 30 starts across 74 appearances and netted eight goals in over 3,000 minutes.
Fast forward to the present, and the contrast is staggering.
In just 28 games since the managerial changes, Yang has been trusted with 24 starts. He has almost matched his previous goal tally by scoring seven times in only 1,812 minutes.
The statistics paint a clear picture of a player completely transformed and thriving with consistent backing.
- Games under Rodgers: 74
- Starts: 30
- Total minutes: 3,067
- Goals: 8
- Assists: 9
- Games since Rodgers has left: 28
- Starts: 24
- Total minutes: 1,812
- Goals: 7
- Assists: 1
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