Cho Gue-sung has spoken out on his failed Celtic move in the January transfer window - claiming that he thought he would make the jump to Europe after a strong World Cup.
The South Korean starlet burst onto the scene at the World Cup with two goals against Ghana in the group stages to send his nation through to the knockout stages. Despite being well and truly annihilated by Portugal, Cho did enough to warrant suitors from Europe - namely Celtic and Mainz, who were both linked with moves for his services.
With Giorgos Giakoumakis looking set to depart Celtic Park for pastures new at this point in the window, Cho equally seemed destined to become his replacement - though a deal was unable to be thrashed out and the Hoops opted for Oh Hyeon-gyu instead. But Cho has spoken out on his failed move, stating that he believed he would move to Europe before the window closed.
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Cho told media outlet Chosun: "I thought I would transfer when the offer came because I did well at the World Cup in Qatar. I had doubts while I was taking a break from exercising. I was thinking about when my body would come back if I went to Europe now. In particular, I heard a lot of advice from seniors and coaches around me.
"I gained a lot more than I thought in the last World Cup. My goal was to become a professional player, play games, and then become a member of the national team. Participating in the World Cup was also a dream. In the end, my dream came true, now I am ready for the next step.
"Everyone has a dream. Everyone has a different dream, however, it is not the dream to make a lot of money as a soccer player, the most important thing right now is to prepare well for the next step.
"My final goal is the Premier League. Of course, to advance to the Premier League, which is the final goal, I have to go through stages."
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