"Celtic Sensation" Yang Hyun-joon, who returned to the national team, said, "The front was dark... but the thought of watching is the driving force."
"Celtic Sensation" Yang Hyun-joon, who returned to the national team, said, "The front was dark... but the thought of watching is the driving force."
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Yang Hyun-joon (23, Celtic), who plays for Celtic, has returned to the Korean national soccer team for the first time in a year. He expressed his deep gratitude to Hong Myung-bo (56), while expressing his feelings about joining the national team.
Yang participated in the national team's training session at Goyang Stadium on Wednesday. After returning to Korea via Incheon International Airport on Thursday, Yang arrived in Korea on the same flight as other English players including Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Baek Seung-ho (Birmingham), and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke). "I'm glad to be back in the national team. I'm half excited and half nervous because it's the first time under Hong Myung-bo," Yang said at the A-match event in March.
After moving to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership (SPL) last summer, Yang failed to take the opportunity as he was classified as a backup at the beginning of the season. However, he has gradually expanded his foothold in recent matches, continuing his good trend by scoring five goals and six assists in his 28 official matches.
"The Scottish League is a very rough style, so I've improved my physical strength to avoid being pushed out in physical fights. I focused on core sports in particular, and I was able to prevent injuries thanks to constant preparation," he said. "I've become much stronger mentally than a year ago. I had a lot of shortcomings, but I've improved by making up for them," he said.
Coach Hong Myung-bo left Europe in January to watch Yang Hyun-joon's game in person and then held an interview. Yang said the meeting was an important opportunity for his performance improvement.
"A few months ago, I felt like I couldn't see anything ahead. But the director came to me and said a lot of good things in person, and I was very motivated by the thought that he was watching me. Since then, I have made more efforts to strengthen myself and show good performances," he recalled.
The national team's second-line striker line is more competitive than ever. Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Lee Jae-sung (Mines) are the main players, while Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), Bae Joon-ho (Stoke), Um Ji-sung (Swansea), and Yang Min-hyuk (QPR) are also competing for positions.
Yang Hyun-joon said, "Offensive dribbling is my strength. I will prepare my team to play a role that can change the atmosphere in a difficult situation," expressing his ambition to prove his value in the national team.
The South Korean national soccer team is set to play the seventh match (Goyang Stadium) of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup Asian qualifying round against Oman on the 20th and the eighth match (Suwon World Cup Stadium) against Jordan on the 25th. Currently, it is leading Group B with four wins and two draws (14 points), and if it wins the remaining two games, it will confirm its advance to the World Cup finals early. 안전놀이터
Expectations are high on what role Yang Hyun-joon, who has expressed his strong will to return to the national team, will play in this game.