Why Celtic should look at Kwon Hyeok-kyu's bold comments positively

Incoming Celtic player Kwon Hyeok-kyu has certainly made a name for himself already.

Despite not yet being officially announced by the club, the Busan I-Park midfielder has got people talking with his comments regarding his impending move to Scotland. Speaking to South Korean media outlet Naver Sports in his, Kwon was bullish on his career trajectory ahead of his imminent move to Celtic.

He said: "I received a lot of help from Busan I-Park since my youth days in middle school. I will work hard to become a player that the Busan club and juniors will be proud of. I will become the best player in Celtic and go to higher places such as the German Bundesliga or the English Premier League."

As expected, these quotes sparked a lot of debate on social media, with many quarters unhappy with the midfielder already working his ticket to a move away from the club he is about to join.

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However, this statement indicated two things that those associated with Celtic desperately crave, honesty and transparency.

Fans have been stung before in the past with false promises and loyalty – both in the form of players and managers – which have, in turn taken those quarters by surprise. For example, players who have pledged their future to the club have then moved on in the next window, whereas in the form of managers – including the incumbent one in his past spell at the club – have said one thing and did something completely different with regard to their position.

Therefore, these quotes from Kwon should come as a refreshing change in terms of how footballers communicate with both the media and the supporters. For the most part, gone are the days of one-club men who pledge their entire career to the same team.

Players like Callum McGregor and James Forrest are a dying breed when it comes to showing loyalty to a single club for the entirety of their playing days. Money and personal ambitions to make it to the top of the game are two very real factors in the aspirations of professional footballers.

The movement of players from different football clubs has never been as publicised or reported as it is right now. Journalists such as Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein have essentially made careers and reputations because of how they report on the latest transfer developments. Now more than ever, people are desperate to hear about the latest going ons regarding both their own club and the teams around them. The expansion of transfer window news has changed the game forever.

Kwon is clearly a confident individual who has high aspirations for his future, as he sees himself playing in some of the best leagues in the world at some point. Although some may have criticisms about how he has worded his intentions, the fact that they are clear should be applauded and taken as a positive for the club.

Whether some like it or not, Celtic are now a development club. They will sign young players with the potential to develop further, before selling them on for big profits to bigger or more affluent teams in the elite leagues. If this process works to fruition with regard to Kwon, then it will be another example of the transfer model working properly and efficiently.

The club are in the middle of the road when it comes to the food chain of professional football. Yes, they may compete in the Champions League with the big boys of European football, but when these teams come calling for Celtic’s players, then they may have to accept their advances as a result.

As long as the club are comfortable with their position, then they should be able to take advantage of this in order to succeed both on and off the pitch. They can use this somewhat negative position as a positive financially.

Hopefully, this honesty from players like Kwon will continue to be the norm going forward. This attitude may even entice other players to join the club if they are aware of the pathway between Celtic and a move to the better leagues.

It may even open the door to a higher quality of player in the process, as more elite talents could choose to continue their development at Celtic if this pathway exists. Players who maybe in the past seen a move to Celtic as a step down in quality may now look at a transfer as good for their career within a developmental standpoint.

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It is important that this level of honesty is consistent with both sides in order for the relations between the club and the player to prosper in a working capacity. If Celtic are honest and realistic with the timeframe in which they see players at the club, then the individuals concerned will not be left in the dark with regard to their situation when an opportunity arises to move on.

Overall, Kwon has been bullish with his comments regarding his long-term future at the club, making his intentions clear regarding where he sees his future taking him. Celtic should take this as an opportunity to underline the pathway created by the club for its prized assets. By doing so, they keep their talents happy, who in turn could make the football club a lot of money profit-wise in the future.

This piece is an extract from the latest Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out every weekday evening with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

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