Yang Min-hyuk (19), who is active at Queens Park Rangers (QPR), continued his record of playing in five consecutive matches. The team could not avoid defeat.
On the 23rd (Korean time), QPR lost 1-2 in an away game against Portsmouth at Fratton Park in Portsmouth, England, in the 34th round of the 2024-2025 Championship season.
With this, QPR recorded 11 wins, 11 draws, and 12 losses (44 points), remaining in 14th place out of 24 teams.
Yang Min-hyuk started the game on the bench and was substituted in the 23rd minute of the second half. He played for about 22 minutes until the end of the match as the team was trailing 0-2.
Yang Min-hyuk made his debut in the 30th round against Millwall on February 2. Since then, he has consistently received opportunities, playing in five consecutive matches.
On that day, Yang Min-hyuk made a strong impression by attempting to dribble past three defenders from the halfway line just two minutes after being brought on. Despite the short playing time, he recorded 10 touches and 2 key passes, showing active movement.
In the previous 33rd round match against Derby County, he started and recorded one assist, but he did not achieve consecutive attacking points in this match.
QPR fell behind after conceding goals to Josh Murphy in the 3rd minute and Matt Ritchie in the 6th minute of the second half. Although Jimmy Dunne scored one goal in the 29th minute of the second half, the match ended in a 1-2 defeat without any additional goals.
Yang Min-hyuk is expected to spend only this season at QPR and is set to return to Tottenham in the upcoming summer.
Tottenham Technical Director Johan Lang noted in an interview released on the official club website on the 6th, "Loaned players will return this summer."
He mentioned the return plans for loaned players, including Yang Min-hyuk, Will Rankin (West Bromwich), and Luka Gunter (Walthamstow).
Lang explained the reason for the loans, saying, "Loans are an essential process in player development. Many key players of the club have gone through this stage. We judged that Yang Min-hyuk, Will Rankin, and Luka Gunter could all develop through consistent playing opportunities," and added, "They will return in the summer and complete their preparations for the preseason."
This means that the promising players who are on loan will return this summer and compete with the current starting players at Tottenham.
Yang Min-hyuk won the Young Player Award while playing for Gangwon FC in the K League last year. He drew significant attention when he finalized his transfer to Tottenham last July during the 2024 season.
Yang Min-hyuk was expected to join the team in January this year, but his schedule was adjusted at the club's request, and he flew to the UK in mid-December.
After joining Tottenham, Yang Min-hyuk did not participate in any official matches and was loaned to QPR on December 29 of last year to seek playing opportunities.
Manager Ange Postecoglou remarked, "Yang Min-hyuk is still a young player and needs time to adapt to the high league level here (in the top division)," indicating the prospect of a loan, which has come to fruition.
/jinju217@osen.co.kr
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (All rights reserved) / QPR social media account
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