Hoops struck gold on Lennon signing whose value rose 200%

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the rest of the board opted to bring Brendan Rodgers back for a second spell in the dugout this summer after Ange Postecoglou left to join Tottenham Hotspur.

The Northern Irish head coach had already enjoyed one spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019 and is now back with an opportunity to add more trophies to his collection.

He is following in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Neil Lennon, who also had multiple spells in charge of the Scottish giants and had great success.

How many trophies did Neil Lennon win for Celtic?

The 52-year-old head coach managed to hit double figures for trophies won across his two stints in Glasgow and proved himself to be a fantastic manager for the club.

Via Transfermarkt.

Lennon’s work in the transfer market over the years played a part in his huge success at Parkhead as he was able to unearth a number of gems who went on to become stars for the Scottish outfit.

One player whom the Northern Irish tactician struck gold with was South Korean central midfielder Ki Sung-yueng, who he helped to thrive in Glasgow after Tony Mowbray had signed him in 2009.

How much did Celtic pay for Ki Sung-yueng?

The Hoops reportedly splashed out £2m to secure his services from FC Seoul in the summer of 2009 and he eventually linked up with his new team in January of 2010 after the end of his side’s K League season in December 2009.

He arrived at Celtic after an impressive campaign with his former club in the South Korean top-flight. Ki racked up three goals and nine assists across 27 K League outings, including one K League Championship clash, as he showcased his ability to chip in with goal contributions from a central midfield position.

That came after the talented youngster had produced four goals and one assist in 21 league appearances for FC Seoul throughout the 2008 season.

The creative maestro, who had made his debut for South Korea at international level in 2008, caught Celtic and Mowbray’s eye in 2009 as his excellent performances in midfield convinced them to spend £2m on his services.

Lennon then made the most of Ki’s talents after he arrived to replace Mowbray in March of 2010, just over two months into the former FC Seuol star’s arrival.

How many goals did Ki score for Celtic?

The central midfielder ended up with 11 goals and 15 assists in 87 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions during a two-and-a-half-year spell in Glasgow.

Ki struggled to find his feet from an attacking perspective over his first six months in Scotland as the talented whiz produced zero goals and two assists in ten Scottish Premiership outings in the second half of the 2009/10 campaign.

The South Korean dynamo started to hit his stride throughout the 2010/11 season as he ended the term with four goals and six assists in 35 games, which included three goals and four assists in 26 league matches.

His best campaign, in terms of his contribution at the top end of the pitch, came in his final year at Parkhead. Ki fired in six goals and assisted six for his teammates over 30 league clashes, and was directly involved in 14 goals in all competitions.

This means that Ki contributed with a goal or an assist every 2.5 Premiership games on average throughout the 2011/12 season, which shows that he was able to make a significant impact in the final third on a semi-regular basis from a central, and sometimes defensive, midfield position.

How much did Celtic sell Ki for?

His impressive form for Celtic led to interest from south of the border and Premier League side Swansea eventually snapped him up for a reported fee of £6m in 2012, which broke their transfer record at the time.

The creative gem, who was 23 at the time, made the move to Wales off the back of winning a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics with South Korea.

The £6m figure that the Hoops received for his services meant that the club made a whopping 200% profit on the initial £2m that they paid FC Seoul for his signature, which shows that Lennon unearthed a gem for the club as he helped the midfielder to progress and improve his attacking output over their two years or so together.

In 2011, the Northern Irish boss lavished Ki with praise as he described the central midfielder as a “wonderful” modern-day midfielder who could be a real asset for the Bhoys.

That turned out to be true as his market value soared from £2m to £6m and earned the Scottish giants a nice payday upon his exit in 2012.

Where is Ki now?

Ki is currently back with FC Seoul in South Korea at the age of 34 and has enjoyed a strong year with the club throughout the 2023 season.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.17 across 27 matches, which is the highest-score within the squad of any outfield player, and contributed with four assists and seven ‘big chances’ created from central midfield.

His experience has allowed him to become a consistent performer in the middle of the park as the former Celtic star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14 in the K League 1 across both the 2021 and 2022 seasons for Seoul.

The creative ace returned to his home country in 2020 after just shy of eight years in England with Swansea, Sunderland, and Newcastle United combined.

Ki produced 15 goals and 11 assists in 187 Premier League appearances during his time south of the border, which included an impressive eight goals in 33 league matches for Swansea during the 2014/15 campaign.

Overall, the 110-cap South Korea international has enjoyed an excellent career across three different countries and showcased his attacking qualities from midfield in Scotland, England, and his own country.

Lennon played a vital part in his development as the Northern Irish boss helped him to thrive at Parkhead and, in turn, earn a move to the Premier League, which also resulted in the Hoops making a profit on the talented gem.