Kwon plays 72 minutes in his first league start on loan at St. Mirren.
It was as if he was taking out all his frustrations about not getting a chance at Celtic on the pitch.
Kwon Hyuk-kyu, a central midfielder who left Busan I-Park last summer to join the Scottish Premiership (SPFL) prestigious Celtic, was a move that surprised everyone. With Oh Hyun-gyu already playing for Celtic and Yang Hyun-joon already gone, Kwon's arrival created a "Korean trio," and expectations were high.
However, Brendan Rodgers didn't give him much of a chance. His time on the bench only lengthened. Needing to survive, he was loaned out to mid-table St. Mirren when the transfer window opened this winter.
Having represented his country at every age group, Kwon is considered a valuable asset to the South Korean soccer team. Celtic have a thick midfield, making it difficult for Kwon to break into the side, so he opted to survive on loan.
His much-anticipated debut came in the Scottish Cup Round of 32 against Queen of South on March 21 (KST). He started and played the full game, securing a 1-0 victory. It was great to get a feel for the game against a second-tier team.
His next opportunity to play in the regular season came soon after. It was the afternoon of the 23rd round of the Premiership at The Smithy Stadium in Paisley, England, and the opponent was Celtic's old Glasgow rivals Rangers.
Partnered with Mark Ohara, Kwon leaned into the defense but was eager to attack whenever he could.
Of course, the game wasn't easy. We went behind in the 14th minute when a sloppy defensive error allowed Cyril Dessers to score. St. Mirren, playing at home, aggressively attacked the Rangers defense, but the weight of the forward line was different and accurate attacks were needed.
Five minutes later, Kwon had a great chance. He played a pass down the left flank of midfield, and a cross was headed away by a defender. Kwon picked up the loose ball and fired a right-footed shot from the back of the center of the penalty area, but the ball went high into the air. Still, the attempt was good.
Looking for an opening, Kwon picked up a low pass from the left flank in the 38th minute and took a direct right-footed shot from near the arc. It went into the right corner of the goal and the goalkeeper was surprised to make the save. It was the first shot on target.
In the second half, Kwon continued to work hard. He worked so 토토 hard that the stain on the back of his jersey became darker, but the goal was a problem. The Rangers offense had them sitting back, and it wasn't easy to create chances.
Eventually, St. Mirren brought Kwon off the bench in the 27th minute. It was clear on his face that he could have played a little longer, but he had done his job. The rest was up to his teammates.
On the day, statistician Couch Score gave Kwon a 6.3 rating. The 'footmob' rated him with a 67% pass success rate, 33 touches of the ball, and 100% tackle success. His success rate on the ground was lower at 36%, but that could change with experience. Not bad for a record against the league's top-ranked Rangers.
St. Mirren lost 0-1. They remain in fifth place with 29 points. They will host Hibernian in round 24 on March 4. Kwon Hyuk-kyu will look to start again.