SEOUL (Bernama-Yonhap) – After taking the South Korean league by storm this year, 18-year-old sensation Yang Min-hyeok departed for London on Monday to join Tottenham Hotspur midway through their season, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Yang will also have the chance to meet Spurs’ South Korean-born captain, Son Heung-min, who is 14 years his senior and a living legend from whom Yang hopes to learn as he begins his own Premier League career.
“I am excited to be joining the club. It would be an honour to play with Son and I would be grateful for that opportunity,” Yang told reporters at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, before boarding his flight. “I have pictured myself in that situation. I can’t wait to get there and show people what I am capable of, and have a chance to play next to him in the same match.”
Yang enjoyed a historic rookie campaign for Gangwon FC in the top-flight K League 1 this year. While still in high school, he signed a semi-professional contract at the start of the season.
In March, just before his 18th birthday, he became the youngest player to score a goal in K League 1. Yang was named the Young Player of the Month a league-record five times. He finished the season as the top freshman, with 12 goals and six assists while playing in all 38 matches. He was voted Young Player of the Year after receiving 115 out of 116 votes from the media, 11 out of 12 votes from the league’s head coaches, and 10 out of 12 votes from team captains.
At the end of July, Tottenham announced their signing of Yang to a deal that runs until 2030. Yang, the youngest South Korean player to sign for a Premier League side, will now join the club a month ahead of schedule.
Yang said he was so anxious about his trip that he had trouble sleeping the previous night. He ended up watching Tottenham’s latest match against Southampton, which kicked off at 4 am Monday in South Korean time. Son scored a goal and recorded two assists in Spurs’ 5-0 rout, and became Tottenham’s all-time Premier League assists leader with 68.
“It didn’t surprise me at all. That’s the kind of player he is,” Yang said of Son’s performance.
The two briefly crossed paths in July in Seoul, where Tottenham played a K League All-Star squad featuring Yang in an exhibition match. Then in September, they met on the national team for the first time, with Yang having earned his first senior international call up to join Son, longtime captain, for World Cup qualifiers. Yang didn’t play in any match then.
Given the gap in their age and in their standings on the team, Yang said it is a bit difficult for him to be so friendly with Son just yet. And he hadn’t spoken with Son since the national team camp in September.
“I am looking forward to talking to him more and getting closer to him,” Yang said. “I will try to learn as much as I can from him. I hope he will take good care of me.”
Yang completed his first K League campaign on Nov 23 and is now about to jump onto a moving train in England, with Spurs having played 16 of their 38 Premier League matches and games in other competitions on the horizon.
Yang said he hasn’t set any statistical goal for himself and he just hopes to avoid getting hurt for the rest of the Premier League season.
“I’d like to get into a match before the season ends, and hopefully score a goal or get an assist,” Yang said. “Because I am joining the team in midseason, I’ve been focusing on rest and recovery, so that I will stay healthy going forward.”
Asked to rate his current form, Yang said, “Right now, I am at about 80 to 90 per cent,” and added that he feels confident his burst of speed can help him in the Premier League.
“Personally, I feel that I am ready,” Yang said. “I’ll deliver strong performances there, and I hope fans will continue to support me.”