I know everything seems like it sucks right now and, y’know, fair enough if that’s your opinion, but if you’d like a bright spark in a sea of Tottenham Hotspur murk, I have one for you. According to the Korea Times, incoming South Korean signing Yang Min-hyeok is now officially the youngest MVP finalist in K-League history.
Yang will vie for the award of best K-League player in the 2024 season along with veteran keeper Jo Hyeon-woo of three-time defending league champions Ulsan HD, and Suwon FC’s Brazilian forward Anderson Oliveira.
Yang, who was a semi-pro footballer at the start of the season, has had a meteoric rise in Korean football and according to the Times is a shoo-in for the K-League Young Player of the year after tallying 11 goals and 6 assists for Gangwon FC this season. Jo, meanwhile, is attempting to become just the second keeper to win the K-League MVP award, while Anderson has 7 goals and 13 assists. Interestingly, the Golden Boot winner, Montenegran forward Stefan Mugosa of Incheon United, was not a MVP finalist.
I have absolutely no sense how likely or not it is that Yang would win the MVP award. If I had to guess I’d say not very likely, but that’s just a gut feeling considering he’s going up against a veteran keeper who has conceded 38 goals in 37 matches, but what do I know?
At any rate, it’s a pretty cool achievement for a kid who only just turned 18. With the K-League season over, Yang will report to North London soon so he can begin training with his new team. He is not eligible to play for Tottenham until the January transfer window opens and the transfer paperwork goes through.
The K-League awards will be announced in a ceremony on November 29.