Oh Hyun-kyu, 22, completed a “domestic treble” six months after joining Celtic in Scotland.
Oh came on as a substitute in the 14th minute of the Scottish Cup (FA Cup) final against Inverness (2nd Division) at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 4 to help Celtic win 3-1 and clinch the title. Oh played an exquisite forward pass in the 20th minute with the score 1-0. Callum McGregor’s grounded cross into the penalty box was finished by Riel Abada.
Oh set up the second goal again. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time with a 2-0 lead, Oh played a through ball between the defenders. Abada raced down the right flank and sent a direct cross that Jota chest-trapped and fell over to head home.
Oh was a reserve player without a number at the World Cup in Qatar last December, just six months ago. Only 26 players were allowed to wear numbers 1 through 26, and Oh, who didn’t make the final roster, accompanied Son Heung-min, who was rehabbing, as a reserve in case he couldn’t play. After the World Cup, Celtic offered Oh’s club Suwon Samsung a transfer fee of 2.7 billion won (US$3.7 million), which was later increased three or four times to 4 billion won. Oh donned the Celtic jersey in January after expressing strong European aspirations.
Within six months, Oh lifted three trophies with Celtic. In February, he won the League Cup, and last month, after experiencing early success in the Scottish Premiership after 34 rounds, he won the FA Cup. Even if it’s not a European big league, a “homegrown trifecta” is a significant record. Celtic set a new world record with their eighth domestique treble. Oh was front and center during the victory ceremony, sharing the joy with his teammates.
Oh was mainly used as a substitute for Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi, but he was a consistent scorer. In 21 games, he played nearly 600 minutes and scored seven goals, or about one goal every 85 minutes. Earlier, Celtic Star gave Oh a seasonal rating of 8, praising him for his “goals to minutes ratio, which makes you forget about the departure of Ziakoumakis from Celtic”. He was also praised as a “Korean Rooney,” a local comparison to Wayne Rooney. Next season, Oh will play in the UEFA Champions League, the top tier of European competition.
Oh will return home through Incheon Airport on the 5th. He is guaranteed to be included in the squad for the two June A matches, which coach Jürgen Klinsmann will announce on the same day. Oh rattled the net with a powerful turning shot in an exhibition match against Uruguay in March, but the goal was disallowed after video assistant referee (VAR) ruled him offside. Klinsmann came to a Celtic game in April and saw the hunger in Oh’s eyes. There is a possibility that Oh could play as the first option up front in Klinsmann’s system.스포츠토토
Meanwhile, Celtic boss Enze Postecoglou, the ‘teacher of Oh Hyun-gyu’, is highly touted as the next manager of Tottenham.