Park the inspiration for Yang’s European dream
Celtic winger grew up watching Man United trailblazer
PARK J I- SUNG was an underappreciated, yet integral, cog in one of Sir Alex Fer ugson’s most dominant eras at Manchester United, but t he South Korean will always be the trailblazer for Asian footballers.
The versatile midfielder became the first from his contintent to feature in, and win, the pinnacle fixture in European football when Manchester United lifted the Champions League trophy in Moscow after victory over Chelsea in 2008.
While Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were superstars, Park’s achievements allowed aspiring youngsters in his homeland to dream – like Yang Hyun-jun.
Yang followed in the footsteps of fellow South Koreans Cha Du-ri and Ki Sung-yeung when he joined Celtic this summer from Gangwon FC and the 22-year-old now hopes to emulate his heroes after being inspired by their achievements.
“The famous Korean football player Park, when I was young I saw a match from Manchester United against Chelsea in the quarter-finals,” Yang replied when asked about his first Champions League memories.
“Park scored so after watching that match, it’s now an honour to be involved. I had a lot of heroes in my football life when I was younger. I looked up to any footballer who played overseas especially Cha Du-ri and Ki Sung-yueng who played at Celtic. They were also my heroes.
“All those three players gave me motivation to play football, also as a professional football player. I always imagined what it would be like to play in a Champions League game and I’m very grateful to them for this.
“I met Ki very often at K-League games and I’ve also met Cha because he’s a coach with the South Korea national team. When I was involved with the national squad, we talked – but they haven’t given me any specific advice about being at Celtic.”
Yang’s Champions League debut turned into a baptism of fire after he stepped off the bench for the final half-hour of the 2-0 defeat to Feyenoord. Within 10 minutes of his introduction, Celtic were reduced to nine men and they were pinned deep in their own half with Yang restricted as an attacking force.
Despite an impressive first-half display, Joe Hart’s error gifted Feyenoord the lead as Celtic’s dismal record in the Champions League continued. It’s been six years since they last won in the group stage and Brendan Rodgers’ side need to end that run against Lazio on Wednesday night to preserve their faint hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since the 2012/13 season.
Yang said: “Maybe the result from our last Champions League game wasn’t the best one but from that experience, I learned that we can fight in a difficult situation.
“We did our best against Feyenoord and from that, our teamwork has grown stronger after that game. If we play our own style of football, I think it’s possible to beat Lazio.
“If we are going to qualify from this Champions League group, we have to win this game, definitely.”
Yang is becoming accustomed to the atmosphere at Parkhead but the decibels soar exponentially on European nights, which are renowned across the continent.
“I haven’t yet experienced the atmosphere at Celtic Park on a Champions League night but I can imagine what it will be like,” Yang admitted. “Even in the league games, the atmosphere is unbelievable with so many supporters in the stadium. So I’m really looking forward to playing in the Champions League at Celtic Park.”
It’s unlikely that Yang will start against Lazio after he was hooked at half-time in yesterday’s dramatic win over Motherwell. The Serie A giants will travel to Glasgow after a concerning start to the season with pressure mounting on Maurizio Sarri.
A 2-0 Serie A defeat against AC Milan last night increased the scrutiny on the former Chelsea manager but they remain a dangerous opponent – as highlighted by their recent win over reigning Italian champions Napoli.
Oliver Ntcham’s famous winner in the Stadio Olimpico in 2019 will act as inspiration for Celtic and Callum McGregor will continue to set the standards.
“Callum always tells us that every game is important,” Yang said. “I never experienced it before where you have to win every game. But Celtic as a team can set that goal because they are champions.
“And I am very proud to be part of a team that is champions and to share that motivation to want to win every game.”
We did our best against Feyenoord and from that, our teamwork has grown stronger. If we play our own style of football, I think it’s possible to beat Lazio