New Celtic signing Kwon lifts lid on military training, Zadok The Priest in car and Rodri comparison

Hyeok-kyu Kwon is unveiled as a Celtic player.

As is customary in South Korea, there is a year-and-a-half national service requirement for men to complete once they reach the age of 18. Kwon has come through the other side of that and admitted that if has given him a different appreciation of the life he has as a footballer, it has also given him a different kind of mentality.

“We would all wake up early and go for a jog,” he said. “In the mornings we would do normal soldier training, army training, and in the afternoon we prepared for our matches and trained as a soccer player. In late evening I would do my own personal work-outs. You can think of it easily as a football player in the army. At first it was difficult to adapt to that life but I got used to it. I think because of it I can bring a soldier mentality on the pitch which is definitely helpful.”

The military training did not interfere with the 22-year-old’s ambitions of making a name for himself in European football. Indeed, car journeys to training at his former club Busan IPark were spent listening to Handel’s Zadok The Priest, a score that causes as much excitement at Celtic Park as it did for the young midfielder who adopted a philosophy of positive prophecy. And his vision is not limited to simply making an appearance in Europe’s premier competition.

"When I was playing at my former club I always had the Champions League song playing in my car,” he smiled. “When you repeat it, I think it then becomes true. I have my chance now to play in the Champions League and I want to become a legendary player here. This positive attitude is what I will take to training every day. I always dreamed of playing at a European club and I just want to do my best on the pitch.”

Kwon watched last season’s game against Real Madrid at Celtic Park, an encounter he was appreciative of despite the adversity of the result for what was then Ange Postecoglou’s side. He also spoke of his admiration for fellow countryman and former Celt Ki Sung-yueng but he is more focused on establishing his own name in Glasgow. There were some lofty comparisons made with his style of play to that of Manchester City and Spanish midfielder Rodri, something he was smart enough to distance himself from. "I am very happy to hear these compliments but I know that I still have a long way to go to become a player like Rodri,” he said. “I think I can improve a lot at Celtic and one day I want to become not Celtic Rodri but Celtic Kwon.”

Whatever he does in the games against Rangers will go a significant way to establishing the status that he is held in by the green side of the city. Although one suspects that he has not quite grasped the full significance of these meetings just yet. I am aware it is a long history and a traditional derby between the teams,” he said. “For me, it is a normal league match and I want to focus on each game. I think that is what brings good results.”