Yang Hyun-jun Shines in Celtic's Win Over St Mirren

Yang Hyun-jun left Paisley with the match ball in his hands and his future on pause.

On a raw, tense afternoon at The Marbill Coaches Stadium, the 24-year-old South Korean produced the decisive moment in Celtic’s 2-1 win over St Mirren, capping a performance that underlined just how far he has travelled in a year.

The clock showed 68 minutes. The game was edgy, Celtic still searching for a way to tilt it decisively their way. Then Camilo Duran burst into life, threading a terrific pass that sliced open the St Mirren back line. Yang didn’t hesitate. One touch to set, one clean strike, and the ball was in the net. Celtic 2, St Mirren 1. Job done.

The celebration told its own story. Yang peeled away towards the travelling support, arms wide, before being swallowed up by team-mates. Liam Scales was first to him, dragging him into a huddle that felt less like a routine league goal and more like a statement about what this player has become.

Because this wasn’t a one-off flash. This was the continuation of a surge.

From fringe to frontline

Yang has opened the new campaign at full tilt. His goal in Paisley was his second in as many games, following his strike against Aberdeen at Celtic Park the previous Wednesday night. The numbers are simple enough, but they barely touch the impact he is having on Martin O’Neill’s side.

He looks utterly at home on the left flank now, driving at full-backs, cutting inside, demanding the ball. That suits Celtic. It also balances them. On the opposite side, Haissem Hassan offers similar comfort and confidence in possession, even if the Egyptian international is still waiting for his own breakthrough in terms of end product. That will come; the raw materials are there.

What sets Yang apart at the moment is that blend of trickery and ruthlessness. He doesn’t just beat his man; he finishes the move. He has become a wide player who decides games, not just decorates them.

No wonder his absence now feels like a looming problem rather than a footnote.

A parting gift before the Asian Games

The win over St Mirren doubled as a farewell of sorts. Yang now leaves to join the South Korea squad for the Asian Games, and Celtic will have to cope without him in a critical stretch.

He will miss Wednesday night’s trip to Perth to face St Johnstone. He will miss the Glasgow Derby double header against Rangers. He will miss the Europa League opener at home to Hungarian runners-up Ferencvaros, a fixture Celtic will be desperate to use as a launchpad in Europe.

For O’Neill, it is a serious blow. Yang has become one of his key assets, a player the manager leans on when the tempo needs lifting or the game needs prised open. For the supporters, it is just as stark. A year ago, few would have blinked if Yang had dropped out of the side. Now, the idea of going into a Rangers double header and a European curtain-raiser without him feels like a handicap.

That shift says everything about his development.

The transfer that never was

Rewind 12 months. Yang was on the verge of leaving Glasgow. Birmingham City were ready to take him for around £3 million, a fee that now looks laughably low given his current trajectory. The deal collapsed amid the wider failings of Celtic’s summer 2025 transfer window, a messy period that has been dissected often enough.

At the time, it felt like another symptom of a dysfunctional window. Now, it looks like a turning point.

Denied a move, Yang fought. He worked his way from squad option to first-team certainty, sharpening his decision-making, toughening his game, and adding goals. Under O’Neill’s guidance, he has transformed from a player Celtic could afford to lose into one they cannot easily replace.

It is hard to think of another recent Celtic player who has elevated his level so dramatically in such a short space of time. From almost out the door to indispensable, in one season.

What comes next?

All of this leads to an obvious conclusion. If Yang continues along this path for the rest of the campaign, the market will come calling. The talk around him has already shifted. He is no longer a £3 million gamble for a mid-table English side. He is starting to look like a potential £25 million-plus asset for a club willing to pay for a wide forward who can create and score.

That is for later, though. For now, Celtic must navigate a crucial run of fixtures without one of their most dangerous players, hoping his form survives the interruption of international duty and that his momentum carries straight back into club colours when he returns.

At Paisley, Yang Hyun-jun walked off to the applause of a support that once wondered if he would ever truly make it at Celtic. Now the question is very different.

How long can they keep him?