Ex Celtic star seeks to fulfil Ibrox 'dream' tonight as he tries to achieve what he couldn't at Hoops
The former Hoops striker failed to score in six previous attempts against Rangers during his 18-month spell at Parkhead
Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu has vowed to finally fulfil his “dream” of scoring against Rangers at Ibrox in tonight’s opening Europa League clash.
The South Korean frontman, who now plies his trade for Genk, is expected to lead the line for the Belgians against Russell Martin’s side.
The 24-year-old returns to Glasgow for the first time since departing the Hoops last July after a 18 month spell at Parkhead in which he scored 12 goals in 47 appearances - but he failed to find the net in six previous attempts against their fiercest rivals.
Oh spent the majority of his time at Celtic serving as back-up to first-choice hitman Kyogo Furuhashi, but has since seen his price tag rocket.
He was strongly linked with a €28 million (£24m) summer move to Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart in the summer only for the deal fell through at the last minute.
“It’s nice to be back in Glasgow, especially playing at Ibrox,” he said. “My best memories of my time here were at Celtic Park, because I didn’t score at Ibrox.
“I played here and it was my dream to score in this stadium so I’m very excited. I hope to score in this game. I want to make it a great night.”
Oh helped Genk to a third-place finish in the Jupiler Pro League last term, but he has netted just twice so far this season, with the club sitting third-bottom after recording two wins from their first eight games.
Genk told to use negative Ibrox atmosphere to their advantage
Genk sporting director Dimitri De Conde feels it’s a perfect time to face Rangers, admitting he wants his players to use the negative atmosphere from the stands to their advantage.
The Light Blues are still in a fragile state, despite securing a first domestic win of the season against Hibs in the League Cup at the weekend. Disgruntled fans have protested outside Ibrox, calling for head coach Martin and CEO Patrick Stewart to be removed from their roles.
And while that morale-boosting victory has eased the pressure a bit, it won’t take much for things to turn toxic again if the hosts don’t start well this evening.
De Conde believes Genk can use fan fury being aimed at Martin as a weapon in their own bid to get their campaign back on track after a tough start to their domestic season.
“I think it’s a good time to face them,” he stated. “I know the atmosphere there. There’s a lot of pressure. Last weekend the match was even stopped because the fans wanted the coach out.
“That’s our job, we can’t give them the chance to rally the fans behind them. The climate here is negative at the moment and we have to take advantage of that.
“If we can get off to a good start the pressure on them will increase even more. That could be an advantage for us. But we’ll have to start the match very quickly and sharply.”