“I will erase your doubts about me with points”… Yang Min-hyuk’s strong will to ‘go straight to Tottenham’

Gangwon FC Yang Min-hyuk (18) is the best rookie in K League 1 this season. As soon as he debuted as a professional, he appeared in all 38 league games and not only became the youngest player to score double-digit attack points, but also finished the season with 12 goals and 6 assists. His winning the K League 1 Young Player Award at the ‘Hana Bank K League 2024 Grand Prize Awards Ceremony’ was a scene that was predicted long ago. Gangwon-do took second place, the best performance in club history (19 wins, 7 draws, 12 losses, 64 points).

The brightest star in the K-League is now heading to Tottenham (England). Tottenham has been watching Yang Min-hyuk closely for a long time, and highly evaluated his potential even at his young age, so they signed a contract in July. He finished this season in Gangwon and joined Tottenham. As a result, Yang Min-hyuk went from a promising player who was just starting to attract attention to a promising player playing on the world’s best stage in just one year.

Of course, only the ‘flower road’ is not guaranteed. Son Heung-min (32), a senior, is holding on as Tottenham captain, so he will be a dependable corner in an unfamiliar environment, but in the English Premier League (EPL), where skill is evaluated only, the competition for the starting position is entirely up to Yang Min-hyuk to overcome on his own.

But Yang Min-hyuk does not flinch. After receiving the K-League 1 Young Player Award, he said, “It is true that there are many people around me who are skeptical because I transferred straight from the K-League to Tottenham,” and added, “But I will clash. “I will prove my qualifications with a goal at Tottenham,” he said emphatically.

Yang Min-hyuk leaves for London on the 16th. Tottenham, suffering from a number of injuries to strikers, asked him to join early. Naturally, the top priority is adaptation. After arriving in London, he will take 15 days to get his affairs in order, and then officially register with the Tottenham squad on January 1st next year. He said, “First, I will get used to the new team atmosphere. “The most important thing is to become a player who can compete consistently without getting injured,” he said.

For now, playing in cup competitions, which are less stressful than the league, can be a stepping stone to quick adaptation. As a result of the England FA Cup 3rd round (round of 64) draw held on the 3rd (Korean time), Tottenham will face Tamworth, a team in the 5th division. Since it is a mix of professional and semi-professional teams, it is an easy matchup for Tottenham. The third round of the FA Cup, which will be held on January 10th next year, could be Yang Min-hyuk’s debut in a Tottenham uniform.

Reporter Baek Hyun-ki hkbaek@donga.com