The striking position at Celtic has been a very interesting side story of what has been a rollercoaster campaign thus far under Brendan Rodgers.

From Kyogo Furuhashi signing a long-term deal in the summer to Adam Idah joining from Norwich City on deadline day back in February, there have been plenty of developments surrounding the sole striker situation this season. As things stand, Kyogo has the ‘yellow jersey’ concerning his leading of the line, with the Japan international scoring two goals in as many games. Previous to this, his fellow striker Idah was preferred to him, scoring against Motherwell and Dundee before drawing a blank against both Hearts at Tynecastle and Livingston at home, a game in which Kyogo scored.

With this constant battle between the two for striking supremacy at the club, you would be forgiven for thinking that Celtic have just two strikers on their books at the moment, which is not the case. Indeed, South Korea’s Oh Hyeon-gyu, who was signed last January from K1 League side Suwon Samsung Bluewings under Ange Postecoglou, is still presently fit and available for selection, though he has found that selection process difficult to come by in recent weeks and months.

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Brought in to replace the outgoing Giorgos Giakoumakis – who is now an MLS All-Star with Atlanta United FC – Oh has struggled to make any sort of sustained impact at the club since his continental shift from Asia to Europe almost 14 months ago. 12 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions admittedly is not the worst record – especially for a 22-year-old in unfamiliar surroundings – but this record does not tell the whole story for the young forward.

Since the arrival of Idah and his return from Asia Cup duty with South Korea, Oh has managed just 25 minutes of football in all competitions, which equates to only two total appearances since February 11. His last outing came against Kilmarnock in the 1-1 draw at home on February 17, with the striker making three benches and missing out on two matchday squads since that game over a month ago.

To add insult to injury, South Korea’s caretaker manager Hwang Sun-hong – replacing the recently sacked Jurgen Klinsmann – failed to call up the striker to his squad to face Thailand in World Cup qualifying, in what has been a dismal few months for the young forward. The question is: where does this leave Oh in the short, medium and long term of his Celtic career?

The truth is that his manager Rodgers has not trusted him enough to start him over a prolonged period. Named in only three line-ups since the start of the season, Oh has been a bit-part player for the majority of his first full year at the club, certainly not helped by Idah’s arrival mid-season. Before this, Kyogo started virtually every game in place of the South Korean, indicating his position as a second or third-choice at best under Rodgers.

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The Idah situation is an interesting one, especially because of the Irishman’s loan not including an option to buy in the deal with Norwich. His immediate impact in the squad has been a good one, though the question marks still remain concerning his long-term future, and if it will be with Celtic. The in-form Kyogo will still have another three years left on his deal when the summer arrives. Currently in his prime at 29 years old, the striker may have missed the boat with a move down south or elsewhere in Europe and may be happy with his lot as the main man for Celtic. His recent form indicates that point may very well be true for Kyogo.

Seven years his junior, Oh may look to bide his time to get his next sustained opportunity as Celtic’s first-choice talisman. Time is indeed on his side at this point. However, he may better his chances by looking for a temporary solution out of the club via means of a loan deal. Perhaps a loan deal to a side in the Scottish Premiership could do the trick for the striker in the upcoming summer window?

There are no doubts that Oh could do a job for a fellow domestic side such as Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs. After all, he has scored against all of these teams when playing for his current parent club. Indeed, a change of scenery and surroundings in the summer may be for the best in the case of the forward. Just look at the likes of Ryan Christie, Liam Scales, Bosun Lawal and even Mikey Johnston recently. Sometimes, this mutual temporary agreement between the player and the parent club can be the very making of the former.

A good finisher with both his feet and his head, there is talent present to nurture when remarking about the South Korea regular. Possessing good upper-body strength and decent pace for a big man, Oh has a lot going for him, though he has not yet made that big breakthrough at his first club in Europe, in truth. He still does have time on his side, due to his current deal running out in the summer of 2028, which will motivate him despite his current struggles.

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At this point, however, Oh is further away from that coveted first-choice striking berth than he ever has been. Besides a horrendous injury run from now until the end of the domestic season – heaven forbid - he will have to make do with being third in line to Celtic’s goal-scoring throne. Not an ideal situation, for a player that is needing games under his belt. With time running low on this campaign, it looks as if his impact for the rest of the season will be low, if at all.

For Celtic’s forgotten striker, all roads lead to the summer concerning the next step in his career, either at his current club or in pastures new. Either way, this is a scenario that needs to be resolved, for the good of the player’s career as a whole, and the club’s striking prospects in general.