Yang Hyun-jun's Impact on Celtic's Title Pursuit

Yang Hyun-jun was almost out the door in January. Now Celtic can barely imagine life without him.

Back then, a move to Birmingham City looked close. The winger seemed set to swap Glasgow for the Championship as uncertainty swirled around the club. Instead, he stayed put, Martin O'Neill walked back through the door for a second spell, and Yang quietly became one of the pillars of a title-winning side.

He didn’t just hang around. He delivered.

Big goals, big moments, and by the end of last season he had helped drive Celtic to a league and cup double. The reward came in the summer: new terms agreed, future secured, and a clear signal that the Scottish champions see him as central to what comes next.

He has started this campaign exactly where he left off.

On Saturday evening in Paisley, with Celtic pushed hard by St Mirren, Yang again found the decisive touch. His winner in the 2-1 victory was his second goal of the season, coming hot on the heels of his first in midweek against Aberdeen. Two games, two goals, both telling.

Captain Callum McGregor didn’t bother hiding how much the squad value him.

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

The numbers back up the captain’s instinct. This season, Yang has two goals and an assist in seven appearances, a neat snapshot of a player growing in confidence and influence. Last term he hit double figures with 10 goals and added three assists, production that made his new deal feel like a formality rather than a gamble.

His role goes beyond raw stats. The way Celtic are playing under O'Neill, width isn’t a luxury, it’s a non-negotiable. The wingers stretch the pitch, pin full-backs, and create the lanes that allow McGregor and company to dictate games. On that left flank, Yang has become the natural pick, the man who gives Celtic that balance and threat.

And now they have to do without him.

Yang will miss the next four matches as he joins up with South Korea for the Asian Games. On current evidence, that absence bites. In Japan later this month, his country will face Qatar and Saudi Arabia in a group that will demand his energy and sharpness out wide.

Back home, the schedule offers Celtic no comfort.

• They go to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, a fixture that rarely feels straightforward on the road.
• Then comes a trip across the city to face Rangers in the League Cup quarter-finals, a tie that always carries weight, no matter the competition.
• After that, a Europa League home game against Ferencvaros, followed by another Old Firm clash in the league at Celtic Park.

Four games, three competitions, two derbies, and no Yang Hyun-jun.

For a player who nearly slipped away in January, his shadow now looms large over Celtic’s next month. The question is simple: can the champions keep their width, their edge, and their momentum while one of their most dangerous outlets chases glory in Asia?