The year he turned 18, as a third-year student at Maetan High School, he made his debut in the K League 1 by coming on away at Pohang. He was the second high school student to play in the K League, after Kim Seung-gyu in 2008. That year he started the Super Match, the fourth-youngest appearance on record, and in the autumn Suwon Samsung chose him with a priority pick, so he joined the K League without going through university.
In 2020, he enlisted with Sangju Sangmu and scored against Jeonbuk Hyundai in his first match for the team, three months after enlisting. In 2021, he was part of Gimcheon Sangmu’s K League 2 title and promotion to the K League 1, and was discharged that November.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 21, he scored five goals in four K League 1 matches to become the team’s top scorer, and in the promotion-relegation play-off his extra-time winner saved the team from relegation. In November, he played his first international match, and the next day manager Paulo Bento said he would take Oh Hyeon-gyu to the Qatar World Cup as a 27th player beyond the final 26, and his name became widely known. He stayed in Qatar with the national team without a shirt number, and after returning home received a reserve player’s bonus from the Korea Football Association.
In 2023, he moved to Celtic of Scotland, his first step onto the European stage, and lifted the league trophy four months after joining. In 2024, he played at the Asian Cup in Qatar with the national team, and in the summer moved to Genk of Belgium. In October, he scored away in Jordan in World Cup third-round qualifying.
In the spring of 2025, he came on for Genk and scored twice in three minutes, and in June a goal away in Iraq was among the Asian Football Confederation’s candidates for best goal.
The year he turned 25, he moved to Besiktas of Turkey on a full transfer and scored a debut goal with an overhead kick. In June, in his first World Cup finals, he scored a go-ahead winner against the Czech Republic. Four years earlier, he had traveled to the Qatar tournament as a reserve player without a shirt number. In September, he scored the opening goal in a friendly against Ecuador.
Oh Hyeon-gyu (born Apr 12, 2001) made his K League 1 debut with Suwon Samsung on Apr 26, 2019, the year he turned 18, and became widely known in 2022, the year he turned 21, when he was set to travel to the Qatar World Cup as the 27th player. In 2026, the year he turned 25, he scored a winning goal in his first World Cup finals.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Oh Hyeon-gyu, a third-year student at Maetan High School on a semi-pro contract, made his debut by coming on for Adam Taggart in the 33rd minute of the second half. He was the second high school student to play in the K League, after Kim Seung-gyu in 2008.
Source 01 · Naver Sports (Korean) · Seo Ho-jung column · opens in a new tabSource 02 · YTN (Korean) · A high school K Leaguer · opens in a new tabThe week after his debut he started the Super Match at home. It was the fourth-youngest appearance on record.
Source 03 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Absorbing the strengths of Dejan and Taggart · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Naver Sports (Korean) · Seo Ho-jung column · opens in a new tabChosen by Suwon Samsung with a priority pick, he was set to join the K League for the 2020 season without going through university. He had already played nine league matches in 2019 as a high school student.
Source 04 · Naver Sports (Yonhap) (Korean) · Pro debut through a priority pick · opens in a new tabPartnering Kwon Min-jae up front for the under-18 national team, he helped beat China 4-1 in Myanmar to clinch a place in the finals.
Source 05 · Naver Sports (Sportal Korea) (Korean) · U-19 Championship qualifying · opens in a new tabPassed the final selection for the 2020 second intake of Sangju Sangmu, the Armed Forces Athletic Corps team, and enlisted.
Source 06 · Newsis (Korean) · Final pass for Sangju Sangmu · opens in a new tab The exact date of enlistment could not be confirmed in news reports, so only the month is given.In his first match for Sangmu, three months after enlisting, he scored his first goal away at Jeonbuk Hyundai. The team lost 1-2.
Source 07 · MK Sports (Korean) · Debut goal in his first match for Sangmu · opens in a new tabIn a 1-0 win away at Bucheon FC on a goal by Cho Gue-sung, the team clinched the K League 2 title and promotion to the K League 1. Oh Hyeon-gyu also scored in the 34th minute of the second half, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but it was cancelled by video review for an attacking foul.
Source 08 · News1 via Naver Sports (Korean) · Gimcheon win the K League 2 · opens in a new tabEnlisted in May 2020, he finished his military service with Gimcheon Sangmu and was discharged. He then played for Suwon Samsung until 2022.
Source 09 · MK Sports (Korean) · Winning goal against Ecuador · opens in a new tabHe started the Super Match at Seoul World Cup Stadium and scored twice. Suwon won 3-1 to end a three-match losing streak in the Super Match, and with five goals in his last four matches Oh Hyeon-gyu became the team’s top scorer, with 9 goals and 3 assists in 28 league matches.
Source 10 · MyDaily (Korean) · Oh Hyeon-gyu, who won’t get the Young Player award · opens in a new tabIn the second leg of the promotion-relegation play-off against FC Anyang, he scored the winner 15 minutes into extra time to lead a 2-1 win. He saved the team from relegation to the K League 2.
Source 11 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Qatar World Cup reserve player · opens in a new tabSource 27 · News1 via Naver Sports (Korean) · Winner in the promotion-relegation play-off · opens in a new tabIn a friendly against Iceland at Hwaseong Sports Complex, he came on for Cho Gue-sung in the 26th minute of the second half for his first international match.
Source 12 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Debut against Iceland · opens in a new tabHe did not make the final 26-man World Cup squad, but manager Paulo Bento announced that he would take Oh Hyeon-gyu as the 27th player in case Son Heung-min’s recovery from an orbital fracture fell short. He went to Qatar with the national team without a shirt number.
For Oh Hyeon-gyu, who traveled with the team throughout the tournament but did not play, the association paid 60 million won, a base amount plus a win bonus.
Source 14 · Newsis (Korean) · Bonus for the 27th national team player · opens in a new tabSigned a five-year contract with Celtic. SBS reported the transfer fee as 3 million euros (about 4 billion won), and he became the third Korean player at Celtic, after Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Du-ri.
Source 15 · Naver Sports (SBS) (Korean) · Five-year contract with Celtic · opens in a new tabScored in the 35th minute of the second half of the Scottish Cup round-of-16 match against St Mirren. It was his debut goal on the Scottish stage, in his fourth match in a Celtic shirt.
Source 16 · The Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Debut goal for Celtic · opens in a new tab The date is in Korean time, as given in the article.Away at Heart of Midlothian, he scored his fourth goal of the season in the 35th minute of the second half to help a 2-0 win, which clinched the league title early. The title came four months after he joined.
Source 17 · The Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Premiership title clinched · opens in a new tabIncluded in the 26-man national team squad, he went to Qatar. He appeared in three matches, all as a substitute, and the team went out to Jordan in the semifinal.
Source 18 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Asian Cup roundup · opens in a new tabLeft Celtic and signed a four-season contract with Genk.
Source 19 · Newsis (Korean) · Move to Genk · opens in a new tab Newsis gives the transfer fee as 4.5 million pounds (about 8 billion won) and Sports Chosun as 2.7 million euros (about 4.6 billion won), so it is left out of the text.In World Cup Asian third-round qualifying away in Jordan, he scored with a right-footed long-range shot in the 23rd minute of the second half. Korea won 2-0.
Source 20 · Xportsnews (Korean) · 2-0 away in Jordan · opens in a new tabIn a home match against Gent in the Belgian Pro League championship play-offs, he came on as a substitute in the 25th minute of the second half and scored in the 43rd minute and again three minutes later. The team won 4-0.
Source 21 · Naver Sports (Yonhap) (Korean) · Two goals against Gent · opens in a new tabIn World Cup Asian third-round qualifying away in Iraq, he scored an extra goal in the 37th minute of the second half to secure a 2-0 win. The goal was among 10 candidates chosen by the Asian Football Confederation for best goal of rounds 9 and 10 of the third round.
Source 22 · Newsis (Korean) · Candidate for AFC Goal of the Round · opens in a new tabLeft Genk and joined Besiktas for a transfer fee of 14 million euros (about 24.1 billion won). The contract runs through the end of the 2028–29 season.
Source 23 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Full transfer to Besiktas · opens in a new tabIn his debut against Alanyaspor, he started as the lead striker and equalized with an overhead kick in the 9th minute of the second half, with his team trailing 1-2. The match ended 2-2.
Source 24 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Debut goal for Besiktas · opens in a new tabIn his first World Cup finals he wore No. 18. In the first group match against the Czech Republic, he came on for Son Heung-min in the 24th minute of the second half and finished Hwang In-beom’s cross in the 35th minute for the winning goal, leading a 2-1 win.
Source 29 · Busan Ilbo (Korean) · The match against the Czech Republic · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Looking back on the winner against the Czech Republic · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · World Cup shirt numbers announced · opens in a new tab The date is in Korean time, as given in the article.In a friendly against Ecuador at Suwon World Cup Stadium, he started as the lead striker in a 4-4-2 and played 75 minutes. He scored the opening goal in the 9th minute of the second half with the score at 0-0, and the team won 3-0.
Source 09 · MK Sports (Korean) · Winning goal against Ecuador · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2019–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Apr 12, 2001 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 2001: the year of the event minus 2001, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.