Martin O’Neill was full of admiration for Yang Hyun-jun after the South Korean winger delivered a standout showing against Feyenoord in the Europa League. The 23-year-old, who started on the left flank in Rotterdam, grabbed the equaliser that helped spark Celtic’s impressive 3–1 victory at De Kuip.
After the match, the interim boss reflected on Yang’s display, noting that the winger came close to joining Birmingham City in the summer. “I’ve been told that if things don’t immediately go his way, he can sometimes retreat into himself,” O’Neill said. “But there is definitely a real player in there. He can do things others can’t — he can twist away from defenders, beat his man, and use his strength and skill in tight spaces.
“He just needs confidence, consistently. For a wide player, losing the ball twice in a row and still having the courage to keep taking on defenders is incredibly tough. Only the very best can do that.
“That was the message to him — if you try something positive and it doesn’t come off, don’t stress. You’ll get another chance because he has the ability to glide past players. He can be a real game-breaker for us.”
Feyenoord struck first on the night, but Yang levelled the score from Reo Hatate’s clever clipped delivery, before Hatate put Celtic ahead before the break. Benjamin Nygren later added a third to secure the famous win for the visitors.
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