Celtic’s new ‘Korean Rodri’ admits to using club as stepping stone as he vows to be their “best player”
Impending Celtic signing Kwon Hyeok-kyu says he will one day play in the Premier League or the Bundesliga, despite not yet featuring for the Glaswegian club.
The 22-year-old midfielder stands at 6ft 3in and has been likened to Rodri due to his similar stature and playing style. His arrival — thought to be around £1m — will see him become Celtic’s second South Korean signing of the summer.
Brendan Rodgers has been busy trying to bolster his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season, signing no fewer than four players so far, including Hyun-jun Yang, Odin Thiago Holm, Tomoki Iwata and Marco Tilio.
Known as the ‘K League Rodri’ by various media outlets in South Korea, defensive midfielder Hyeok-kyu joins from Busan IPark and will get his first taste of football away from his homeland, having also represented Gimcheon Sangmu.
Ahead of his arrival, he has been giving his thoughts on his aspirations at Parkhead and how far he wants to take his career. Incredibly, he was very candid when he revealed that he will one day play in either the Premier League or the Bundesliga.
He said: “I received a lot of help from Busan I-Park since my youth days in middle school.
“I will work hard to become a player that the Busan club and juniors will be proud of.
“I will become the best player in Celtic and go to higher places such as the German Bundesliga or the English Premier League.”
It is thought that Celtic have been tracking the player for over a year and see his impending arrival as a real coup. Celtic already have a number of players from the Far East, chiefly Japan, but Hyeok-kyu will be their third South Korean after Hyun-jun and Oh Hyeon-gyu.
