1. Early life and Youth career
Oh Hyeon-gyu was born on 12 April 2001 in Namyangju, South Korea. His early football development included playing for the youth teams of Suwon Samsung Bluewings from 2013 to 2015. He continued his progression through the football program at Maetan High School. While still a student at Maetan High School, Oh Hyeon-gyu demonstrated exceptional talent, leading to his professional debut in the K League, a rare achievement for a high school player at the time.
2. Club career
Oh Hyeon-gyu's professional club career began with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, followed by a period of military service, an impactful return to Suwon, and subsequent transfers to prominent European clubs, where he continued to demonstrate his goal-scoring ability and contribution to team success.
2.1. Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Oh Hyeon-gyu had two distinct spells with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, his formative club. His journey began with a remarkable debut as a high school student, followed by compulsory military service, and then a strong return where he became a pivotal player.
2.1.1. Debut and early career (2019)
Oh Hyeon-gyu made his professional debut in K League 1 with Suwon Samsung Bluewings on 26 April 2019, during a match against Pohang Steelers. This appearance was significant as he became only the second high school student, after Kim Seung-gyu, to play in the K League professional stage since 2008. He entered the game as a substitute for Adam Taggart. On 5 May, he made history again by becoming the first high school student to start in a Super Match, an important league rivalry game against FC Seoul. Oh also played a crucial role in the 2019 FA Cup semi-final second leg on 2 October against K3 League side Hwaseong FC. Coming on as a substitute, he assisted Yeom Ki-hun's decisive goal, helping the team reach the final. Suwon Samsung Bluewings went on to defeat Daejeon Korail in the final, securing their fifth FA Cup title. During the 2019 season, he made eleven league appearances.
2.1.2. Gimcheon Sangmu (Military Service, 2020-2021)
In May 2020, Oh Hyeon-gyu began his mandatory military service by joining Sangju Sangmu FC, which was later renamed Gimcheon Sangmu FC in 2021. While serving, he continued his football career. On 23 August 2020, he scored his first league goal for Sangmu in a K League 1 match against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. In the 2021 season, he primarily featured as a substitute but made a significant impact, recording 7 goals and 5 assists in 35 official matches. His strong performances were instrumental in leading Gimcheon Sangmu to win the K League 2 championship and secure promotion back to K League 1. For his contributions, he was also nominated for the K League Young Player of the Year award.
2.1.3. Return to Suwon and key player role (2021-2022)
After completing his 18-month military service, Oh Hyeon-gyu was discharged from Gimcheon Sangmu on 27 November 2021 and immediately returned to his parent club, Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He made his return appearance for Suwon in a K League 1 match against Ulsan Hyundai. Following the 2021 season, with the transfer of Jung Sang-bin to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oh Hyeon-gyu stepped into a more prominent role as a starting forward for Suwon. The 2022 season saw him emerge as the club's top scorer, netting 13 league goals and a total of 14 goals in 39 official matches, along with 3 assists. His most crucial contribution came in the 2022 K League promotion-relegation playoffs second leg against FC Anyang. With the score tied at 1-1 in extra time, Oh Hyeon-gyu scored a dramatic winning goal just before the final whistle, securing a 2-1 victory and ensuring Suwon's survival in K League 1.
2.2. Celtic FC (2023-2024)
On 25 January 2023, Oh Hyeon-gyu completed a transfer to Scottish Premiership club Celtic F.C. for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be around 2.50 M GBP (approximately 4.00 B KRW or 3.00 M EUR). He signed a five-year contract and was assigned the number 19 shirt. His move made him the third South Korean player to join Celtic, following in the footsteps of Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Du-ri. He also became the third product of Suwon's youth academy to move to Europe, after Kwon Chang-hoon and Jung Sang-bin.
He made his debut for Celtic on 29 January 2023, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Kyogo Furuhashi in a 2-0 league victory against Dundee United. Oh scored his first goal for the club on 11 February in a 5-1 Scottish Cup win over St Mirren. He followed this with his first league goal in the 28th round of the 2022-23 Scottish Premiership, also against St Mirren, contributing to a resounding 5-1 away victory.
On 7 May 2023, during the 34th round league match against Heart of Midlothian, Oh Hyeon-gyu came on as a substitute in the 70th minute and scored his third league goal and fourth goal of the season just 10 minutes later, sealing a 2-0 win. This victory secured Celtic's 53rd league title, marking Oh's first league championship in Europe. In the final league match against Aberdeen F.C., after the title was already secured, he was introduced in the 50th minute and immediately scored his first brace in European league play, contributing to a 5-0 triumph. He concluded the 2022-23 season with 6 goals in 16 league appearances, demonstrating a successful adaptation to European football. He also played a key role in the Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, where he came on as a substitute in the 59th minute for Kyogo Furuhashi and was involved in the build-up for the decisive goal in Celtic's 3-1 victory. This completed a domestic treble for Celtic in the 2022-23 season, with Oh finishing his debut European season with a respectable 7 goals in 21 official appearances.
In the 2023-24 season, he scored 5 goals in 20 Scottish Premiership appearances. However, his playing time decreased significantly in the latter half of the season following the loan arrival of Adam Idah.
2.3. KRC Genk (2024-present)
On 14 July 2024, Oh Hyeon-gyu moved to Belgium, signing a four-year contract with Belgian Pro League club K.R.C. Genk. He quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for Genk on 22 September in a 4-0 victory over Dender. Just six days later, on 28 September, he scored twice against Mechelen in a Pro League match, coming on as a substitute and playing 31 minutes to help Genk secure a 2-1 win.
3. International career
Oh Hyeon-gyu has represented South Korea at various youth levels before earning his call-up to the senior national team.
3.1. Youth national teams
Oh Hyeon-gyu has been a regular presence in South Korea's youth national teams. He has played for the U-17, U-20, and U-23 squads. For the U-17 team, he made 13 appearances and scored 4 goals. With the U-20 team, he played 4 matches and found the net twice. For the U-23 team, he earned 4 caps and scored 1 goal. Notably, he scored in a 6-0 victory against East Timor during the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, contributing to South Korea's qualification for the tournament for the fifth consecutive time.
3.2. Senior national team
Oh Hyeon-gyu made his debut for the South Korea senior national team on 11 November 2022, in a friendly match against Iceland. He came on as a substitute for Cho Gue-sung in the 72nd minute during the match held at Hwaseong Sports Complex Town. Although he was not included in the final 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup announced the following day, he traveled to Qatar as a reserve player, ready to step in if a listed player withdrew due to injury. Despite not officially joining the squad, he accompanied the team throughout their entire World Cup campaign, including all four matches, and shared in the joy of their qualification for the Round of 16 for the first time in 12 years.
Following the World Cup, Oh Hyeon-gyu was called up to the national team again in March 2023 by the newly appointed head coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, for friendly matches against Colombia and Uruguay. On 10 October 2024, Oh scored his first international goal for South Korea during a 2-0 victory over Jordan in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match. He continued his scoring form just five days later, netting another goal in a 3-2 home win against Iraq in another World Cup qualifier.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2019 | K League 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | K League 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | K League 1 | 36 | 13 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | 39 | 14 | ||
| Total | 49 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 53 | 14 | ||
| Gimcheon Sangmu | 2020 | K League 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2021 | K League 2 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 35 | 7 | |||
| Total | 38 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 9 | ||
| Celtic | 2022-23 | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 | |
| 2023-24 | Scottish Premiership | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 5 | |
| Total | 36 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 12 | ||
| Genk | 2024-25 | Belgian Pro League | 25 | 5 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 30 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 148 | 36 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 170 | 43 | ||
4.2. International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | |
| Total | 15 | 2 | |
Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Oh goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 October 2024 | Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan | Jordan | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 15 October 2024 | Yongin Mireu Stadium, Yongin, South Korea | Iraq | 2-1 | 3-2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
5. Honours
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
- Korean FA Cup: 2019
Gimcheon Sangmu
- K League 2: 2021
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2022-23, 2023-24
- Scottish Cup: 2022-23, 2023-24
- Scottish League Cup: 2022-23