Oh Hyeon-gyu earns Celtic hero plaudits as former star Ki pens 'huge potential' prediction
Celtic hero Ki Sung-yeung believes new star and fellow countryman Oh Kyeon-gyu has 'huge potential' to succeed at Parkhead.
Oh joined Celtic late in the January transfer window with Giorgos Giakoumakis' then-imminent move to Atlanta United picking up the pace, leaving Kyogo Furuhashi as the only out-and-out striker at the club. With big shoes to fill by replacing last season's Scottish Premiership top scorer, the 21-year-old will be expected to hit the ground running and assist Celtic in their treble hunt with all three domestic cups up for grabs.
Of course, Giakoumakis - who made his move to the MLS official on Wednesday evening - was seven years older than Oh, with a bucket full of experience in comparison to the South Korean starlet, so it might take the youngster some time to adapt to the league. But former Celtic hero Ki, who was with the club for three seasons, has urged fans to be patient - owing to Oh's 'huge potential' to succeed.
He said: "I think Oh Hyeon-gyu is a player with huge potential. He doesn’t have much experience in the K-League, but I believe he will show he is capable of making the leap to a higher level.
"I don’t have a relationship with Oh as I don't know him personally, but I have watched him and he is a player with good physical attributes and speed.
"He is a young guy who is full of confidence in his own ability and energy. I read what he said about me when he signed for Celtic and that was an honour.
"Celtic are a club with incredible fans. Every time I played there I was amazed by the atmosphere, I can never forget it. It was a really good experience for me.
"Everything will be very different for him, as it was for me - the language, climate, and teammates. So it will be difficult for him to adapt at first.
"It's important for him to accept this and keep calm about it and realise it will take time to adjust to his new surroundings on and off the pitch.
"But in Europe, you have to be proactive and not passive. He can certainly contact me if he has any questions about settling in there in Scotland."
