Yang Hyun-jun's Impact on Celtic's Season

Yang Hyun-jun walked to the brink of the exit in January. Now, Celtic can hardly imagine lining up without him.

Back then, a move to Birmingham City looked close. The winger seemed destined to swap Glasgow for the Championship, his Celtic career in danger of ending before it had really started. Instead, he stayed put, Martin O'Neill returned for a second spell in charge, and the story flipped.

Yang didn’t just hang around. He became decisive.

As Celtic drove towards a league and cup double, the 24-year-old South Korean began to deliver the kind of moments that define seasons: goals, direct running, and a growing authority on the flank. By the time the trophies were lifted, any talk of him being a fringe figure had vanished.

So when new terms were put in front of him in the summer, there was only one logical outcome. Yang signed. And he has picked up exactly where he left off.

On Saturday night in Paisley, with Celtic pushed hard by St Mirren, Yang again tilted the game. His winner in the 2-1 victory was sharp, composed, and utterly in keeping with his recent form. It was his second goal of the week, following his strike in the midweek win over Aberdeen.

The pattern is clear: give him minutes, and he changes games.

His captain sees it the same way. Callum McGregor, speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, did not dress it up.

"He is a really important part of the team," McGregor said. "He's a big player to miss, but obviously we wish him the best."

The numbers back up the praise. This season, Yang has two goals and an assist from seven appearances, a neat snapshot of his growing influence. Last term, he hit double figures with 10 goals and added three assists. These aren’t luxury contributions from the fringes; they’re the output of a player moving towards the heart of O'Neill’s attacking plan.

That plan leans heavily on width. Celtic want their wingers high, wide, and aggressive, stretching defences and opening lanes for runners from deep. In that structure, Yang is not just useful. He is almost automatic selection material on the left when available.

And that’s the problem. He won’t be available.

Yang now heads off to represent South Korea at the Asian Games in Japan, where his country will face Qatar and Saudi Arabia later this month. For him, it’s a major international opportunity. For Celtic, it’s a headache.

He is set to miss four matches, and the timing could hardly be more awkward. Celtic’s next run is loaded with jeopardy and narrative: a Scottish Premiership trip to St Johnstone, a League Cup quarter-final away to Rangers, a Europa League home tie against Ferencvaros, and then an Old Firm league derby at Celtic Park.

These are games that shape momentum, define early-season tone, and test a squad’s depth. On current evidence, they are also games where Yang’s absence will be felt keenly.

From almost out the door in January to indispensable by September, Yang Hyun-jun has forced his way into Celtic’s core. The question now is simple: in this pivotal stretch, can the champions look the same without him?