[위클리 해축] Soccer commentator Lim Hyeong-cheol said, “The challenge is to win in competition with physically strong foreign players.”
“Players who directly faced Yang Min-hyuk in K League 1 said, ‘It is difficult to predict Yang Min-hyuk’s turn timing.’ When returning the ball toward the goal, the turn he makes to beat his opponent is amazing. Not only does he have flashy dribbling and touch, but he also has outstanding play-making skills. “He is a player who is expected to grow on the European stage after joining Tottenham Hotspur.”
Coupang Play soccer commentator Lim Hyeong-cheol and EA SPORTS FC Korean commentator evaluated ‘super rookie’ Yang Min-hyuk, who recently joined Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL), as follows. Yang Min-hyuk, born in 2006, was recruited by K-League 1 Gangwon FC in 2023 and attracted attention early on as a ‘high school K-League’. The following year, he recorded 12 goals and 6 assists in his debut season, won the ‘Young Player Award’, and was selected as one of the ‘Best Eleven’ of the season. Afterwards, the attention of prestigious overseas clubs was focused on the Korean ‘Enfant Terrible’, and he signed a contract with Tottenham in July 2024. Tottenham may have been starving for young talent, and Yang Min-hyuk joined earlier than originally planned. Yang Min-hyuk arrived in London, England on December 17, 2024, and soon had his first training under the watchful eye of captain Son Heung-min. On December 23, we met with Commissioner Lim and heard in detail about the competitiveness of rookie Yang Min-hyuk and his prospects for future performance in the EPL.
“It is difficult to predict Yang Min-hyuk’s turn timing.”
What is the background to Yang Min-hyuk’s early joining of Tottenham?
“I think there is an answer in Yang Min-hyuk’s position. Yang Min-hyuk is a side winger who can play both left and right wings. Tottenham is well aware of the fact that Yang Min-hyuk has a lot of experience as a right winger on the professional stage. Looking at the current Tottenham first-team squad, the right wing is disappointing. Wilson Odover, an ambitious recruit, is out for a long period of time due to injury. Brennan Johnson briefly scored consecutive goals in the first half of the season, but that was the only time. Dejan Kulusevski has been quite active this season, but his main position is central rather than wide. There is also another promising player born in 2007 named Mikey Moore, but he has recently dropped out of the first team due to poor condition due to illness. “It appears that Yang Min-hyuk was brought in early because there were no reliable resources on the right wing.”
Initially, there were rumors of recruitment from several EPL clubs.
“Tottenham is a team where ‘Mr. Tottenham’ Son Heung-min is the captain and Lee Young-pyo played for in the past. Expectations for Korean players are high and there is a lot of exchange with the Korean soccer community. Tottenham’s player recruitment style also played a role. “Compared to other clubs, Tottenham is more active in recruiting and investing in promising players like Yang Min-hyuk.”
Yang Min-hyuk has been a standout since his days at Gangneung Jeil High School, a member of the Gangwon FC U-18 youth team. He signed a semi-professional contract with Gangwon FC in December 2023 and signed as an official professional player in June of the following year. He entered the first team of the K League 1 at a young age, not even graduating from high school. Regarding this, Commissioner Lim said, “I heard a lot on the field that Yang Min-hyuk is a great dribbler since he joined Gangwon FC. “Many officials in the soccer world told me to ‘keep an eye on Yang Min-hyuk,’” he said.
How was Yang Min-hyuk’s performance in K League 1?
“As mentioned earlier, the point that attracted attention when Yang Min-hyuk debuted on the professional stage was his dribbling skills. It means dribbling boldly in front of players who have more than 10 years of professional experience than you. As the game progressed, Yang Min-hyuk’s kicks also improved. Accordingly, the goal record also increased, and in particular, many ‘wonder goals’ were scored. Based on his outstanding kick, he scored a great goal from various angles and from a long distance. It was enough to give the impression that he was not just a super rookie but the best player in K League 1 this season. He also has good playmaking skills to create scoring opportunities and distribute the ball to his teammates. Considering the growth rate shown in K-League 1, we are also looking forward to the future performance of Yang Min-hyuk, who has advanced to Europe.”
Let’s analyze Yang Min-hyuk’s special strengths.
“Needless to say, his dribbling is flashy and his touch is also quite good. The characteristic of a player with good dribbling and touch is that he makes quick decisions. Players who are unsure of their touch have to keep watching the ball, resulting in narrow field of view. On the other hand, a player with a relaxed touch does not need to fix his gaze on the ball and can observe his surroundings well. Thanks to this, Yang Min-hyuk can understand the movements of his teammates, pass passes, and warn in advance where the opposing defense is coming from. “Because he has a wide field of view, he makes quick decisions and as a result, he is agile in passing, shooting, and dribbling.”
![“Yang Min-hyuk, a promising player who will charm Europe with his dazzling dribbling” [영상]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2025/01/04/130787850.1.jpg "“Yang Min-hyuk, a promising player who will charm Europe with his dazzling dribbling” [영상]")
“It’s worth taking advantage of opportunities such as playing as a substitute in the first season.”
EPL teams compete fiercely in every game with tension that feels like walking on thin ice. Clubs and coaches are under strong pressure to produce good results right away. This is why they make the ‘safe’ choice of deploying experienced players who can immediately become a force. In addition, Anzhi Postekoglou’s Tottenham team has recently suffered from poor performance. The league ranking has fallen to 11th (as of December 23), and recent games are not good.
What is the reason for Tottenham’s recent poor performance?
“Both attack and defense lack balance. It seems to be because Coach Postekoglou was unable to maintain tactical balance. These days, Tottenham puts strong pressure on the opposing team in the early stages of the game. Then, after the middle of the game, the players’ energy drops and defensive weaknesses are revealed. Conversely, if the opponent presses hard, the ball guard becomes anxious without any build-up. In the end, only 2 to 3 people are left in the attacking camp, and all remaining resources stay in the rear. In this situation, passing circulation is difficult, so only long passes are kicked into the opponent’s half. Of course, the opposing defense easily blocks it.”
In this situation, what do you think of Yang Min-hyuk’s chances of settling into Tottenham’s first team this season?
“This season, the best thing is to get a chance to play as a substitute in the first team, make a strong impression there, and remain in the squad. However, realistically, even if he remains with the team this season and gets the opportunity, there is a possibility that he will become a loan player in the following season. As a loan player, it is important to develop your skills while adapting to the European stage and increasing your playing experience. Of course, if he makes a strong impression with his outstanding performance this season, it is not impossible to remain in the first-team squad without being a loan player. If he adapts well to the EPL, I think he will be on the bench at least once in the FA Cup or league games. In particular, if Tottenham meets many lower league teams in the early rounds of the FA Cup and has more time, Yang Min-hyuk may also get a chance to play as a substitute. Even if he is not an immediate starter, appearing as a substitute in one or two games is meaningful enough. The task that Yang Min-hyuk must solve on the European stage in the future is to win competitions with foreign players who are physically strong. “I think we will be able to overcome it if we hone in on our unique, elegant ‘Minhyuk turn.’”
〈This article Weekly Donga No. 1471It was published in.〉
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