Still 21-years-old, Liel Abada is the same age Jota was when Benfica sent him out on a season long loan to Valladolid. The insanely valuable talents of Jota were not evident at his mother club and remained hidden for his duration in Spain.
Kyogo was 23 before he played top-flight football in Japan, also as a winger. His prodigious talents took years longer to mature into the goal scorer he is today. This is what successful player development often looks like and it is why Brendan Rodgers persuaded Liel Abada to get his head down for another season at Celtic.
Like Kyogo, Liel has an innate understanding of space and timing in front of goal. He is also a big game player, having scored three times against Newco in his two seasons here, only Dundee United have conceded more to him, including a memorable last-minute winner with 10-men, and, of course, a Scottish Cup Final goal.
He has played through the middle on a couple of occasion without success but I think he has what it takes to make it as a striker, all he needs is time to learn the position and good coaching.
Joining him for competition on the wing will be Korean Hyunjun Yang, also 21, whose signing from Gangwon was confirmed this morning. Hyunjun leaves a team who were fighting relegation all season, which is quite a different prospect from what he will experience at Celtic.
The developmental opportunities for wing players at Celtic have been one of the highlights at the club in recent years. As we discussed last week, wingers are changed during a game more often than any other position, we need volume and variety in the squad.
Welcome to Celtic, Hyunjun.
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Go on Celtic
HH
“a big game player, having scored three times against Newco”
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Belter, Paul!
Disagree about Abada becoming a striker. He will score more goals coming inside from wide positions.
There are things he can improve but we have the right coach for that.
Big things to come from this player.
Good afternoon all from the Doublet. Welcome to Celtic Hyunjun Yang. Gerrintaethum!!!!
George Alagiah RIP
A proper journalist
21 years old. That’s sobering. When I was 21 I would have crumbled under the pressure our players are under week in and week out. Liked my weekend football and my bevvy! Zero focus, zero ambition and even less sense.
I’ll try and remember that the next time I get frustrated with a young guy who is living in a foreign country and totally different culture in a hooped Jersey not performing exactly as I would like!
ROBERTTRESSELL on 24TH JULY 2023 12:36 PM
21 years old. That’s sobering. When I was 21 I would have crumbled under the pressure our players are under week in and week out. Liked my weekend football and my bevvy! Zero focus, zero ambition and even less sense.
I’ll try and remember that the next time I get frustrated with a young guy who is living in a foreign country and totally different culture in a hooped Jersey not performing exactly as I would like!
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Well said, I forget that far to often myself !
Disagreen P67,Abada played as a striker v St Johnstone away in his first season, scored 2 I think, and his running between CBs and FBs,tied them in knots,he will be a striker long tern IMO
Roberttressell
“Liked my weekend football and my bevvy!”
An absolute blur, very much like my not so illustrious football career. 😂😂
Young Liel can be very dangerous or completely hopeless , the latter when he starts to overthink.
In an open game his pace on the break can be utilised , against teams dropping deep , he just needs to drive inside looking for 1-2s , I’d be astonished if he ever made centre forward , he’d need to significantly bulk up to withstand the buffeting from the big oafs in opposition defences.
Should be a good week for incoming transfers.
Hopefully Brendan will have a better team structure which will not rely fully on the midfielders flogging themselves for the 1st hour and then getting hooked For me , I’m expecting big things from Reo in a more structured formation and to see him get 90 minutes more often than not.
HH
Let’s give the new guys a chance before ordering them runs to the Airport.The two Koreans will be very interesting,especially the CM.Very highly spoken of by people who have actually watched him.
ROBERTTRESSELL,
I think you are speaking for many of us. We need to realise these young men are often far from home and for the first time, possibly not speaking English (far less Glesga), coming to terms with a whole new food culture, never mind Irn Bru..
its a beautiful day
Roberttressell at 12.36 –
“Zero focus , zero ambition and even less sense” .
You could be talking about half the blog 🤪
John Joseph McGee Gleilmavis were is this ,I can’t find it.
Timbhoy163 , i’d guess he meant Glenmavis , near Airdrie
Fred Colon 1.25
😂😂
Well, it works for me. 😂
Thanks Fred I was thinking that myself
Season tickets
This year the ticket cover 19 home SPFL games.
If I remember correctly, prior years tickets covered 19 SPFL games plus the first European qualifier and a friendly pre-season game.
We are being robbed!
“Liked my weekend football and my bevvy!”
That summed up my weekend….
Me and FSTB from this Parish done a Bill Werbeniuk.
Must have been 24 – 30 cans each easy on Saturday 11am to 11pm…
Liver clinic on Thursday as well.
Doh!
D :)
Welcome Yang
Trevor Francis RIP
Trevor Francis deid
if we go back to stealing things from Hibernians, we could do worse than steal their song – Sunshine On Leith – up there with ynwa and grace.
just heard on radio – hence the random post
you wont see a better goal this season – by wummin ! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/66281737
RIP Trevor
“!!BADA BING!! on 24TH JULY 2023 2:22 PM
Trevor Francis deid”
When i was at Loughborough Uni, he played for Forrest Reserves agains a fairly decent Lufbra team. It was a come-back game for him after having been out injured for some time. He scored all six goals in the game and looked like a player from another world.
HS- a top player in his day
Wasn’t he the 1st Million pound player?
Completely forgot he signed for the zombies, just reminded there when i read the BBC article….
Liel Abada has his homeland girlfriend to share the different lifestyle
They have both experienced similar journeys to date.
She looked absolutely stunning in her Celtic top so she obviously told him to stay.
Hail, hail.
We are delighted to announce that South Korean midfielder, Hyeokkyu Kwon, has joined the Club on a five-year deal – subject to international clearance ✍🍀
We are going about our business in a competent,professional and unassuming manner.
Sooooooo impressive.
Talk of Trevor,
he does a brilliant interview in the NOTTM FOREST documentary I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES.
https://twitter.com/jotaonthewings/status/1683477781378658305?s=48&t=4qngReqcybvOWPPXccPzUw
Seems Big Mick announced at 4pm…
Excellent Bada.
RIP Trevor.
KLV
Until now, my favourite Korean footballer has been Hong Myung-bo.
For the 1994 World Cup, I went into one of these competitions where we had a sum to spend to pick 11 players, £30m if I remember at the time, from all the squads and there were points for goalscorers, assists, defenders with shutouts etc.
I had spent £29.6m and needed another player to complte my team. At random, i picked Hong Myung-bo as he cost £400k. He turned out to be my bigest point scorer.
I followed his career which culminated in being the captain of Korea at the 2002 World Cup when Korea got to the semi-finals and finished 4th overall.