HACKING through the mud. Intense shooting drills. No, that wasn’t Hyeongyu Oh’s response when asked what he expects life to be like in Scottish football and under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, but going by the content of his national service stint, he may well be perfectly cut out for it.
The South Korean striker has described his move to Glasgow as a dream, and when you hear what he went through during his time back home in the army, it is little wonder he feels that way.
Such was Oh’s ambition to make it in European football that he actually asked to take on his duties early so that he could concentrate on his career. All South Korean men must complete 18 months of national service by the time they are 28, but by 21, Oh had risen to the rank of sergeant before being fully discharged.
Now, he is free to focus on becoming a success at Celtic, and with the discipline that has been instilled in him and the appreciation he has for whatever may now come his way, it would be a brave man to bet against him achieving just that.
“It was tough, it was usual army things like running, climbing and crawling through the mud,” Oh said.
“I think it will be different to the training here. I managed to get through it yesterday!
“It teaches you not to waste any day and live life to the full. The experience of being the army is also helpful for life after national service.
“I think it does make you appreciate football more. Every day when I was in the army I was dreaming about this moment. I’m so happy to have made it real.
“Will national service be tougher than Scottish football? Yes, for sure!”
Oh had been placed on standby for the South Korean squad for the World Cup, but star man Heung-min Son recovered from a fractured eye socket in time to take his place in the attack, and Oh’s place in the 26-man list.
That might have upset some players, but someone with the national pride of Oh?
“No!” he said. “I was happy!”
Given the drills he went through in the army, it is perhaps no surprise to learn though that the prospect of travelling to Qatar simply to go through the gruelling training sessions was one that he seized upon, grasping the opportunity to learn from the best players in South Korea, and also the world.
For Oh though, it was the man whose presence torpedoed his own World Cup dream that made the trip even more worthwhile, with Son passing on some priceless pieces of advice to a young player who hopes to follow in his illustrious footsteps.
“When I was in Qatar I got to see all of the greatest players of this generation,” he said.
“I learned a lot just watching them and I felt ready to play as well.
“I learned a lot from [Son]. He’s one of the best players in Korea. I haven’t spoken to him since coming to Celtic as we were rushing to do the transfer, but he gave me good advice at the World Cup.
“He told me that I should watch out for every little mistake, because the small mistakes turn into bigger and bigger mistakes.”
He admits though that he almost made the mistake of being overawed by the physicality of the defenders he saw up close in Qatar, before realising that his own physical attributes make him an ideal fit for a rough and tumble European league such as Scotland.
“When I was watching the World Cup and saw the big European defensive players, I wondered if I could fight with them,” he said.
“After a while though when I saw Korea score some goals against them, that gave me confidence that maybe I too could go up against them as a Korean and survive in European football.
“There isn’t one specific player that I looked up to [when I was young], but I like strikers like Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.
“I enjoy the physical battle against defenders, that’s one of my strongest qualities.”
Oh has travelled to Scotland on his own, but the 21-year-old is confident that he can settle in the country just as the other Asian players Celtic have recruited have managed to do.
You sense there may well be some friendly rivalry between Oh and the Japanese players in the changing room though, and not only for places in Postecoglou’s team.
“I’m always happy to see successful Asian players in Europe, and I’m sure we have some things in common,” he said.
“I’m sure they will be a big help to me. But between Korea and Japan, Korea are the better team!”
