Thomas Frank knows how to develop young wingers, which bodes well for one Tottenham Hotspur star.
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will hopefully give youngster Yang Min-hyeok special treatment during his first campaign in north London and help the prospect fulfil his lofty potential.
For now, Frank and Spurs remain focused on the summer transfer window and recruiting ahead of the Premier League season and a return to the Champions League. One the window closes and the campaign is underway in full, the new Tottenham Hotspur manager should keep a close eye on Yang.
The 19-year-old was signed by Spurs in December and quickly sent out on loan to QPR in January. Yang was afforded 14 Championship appearances under Marti Cifuentes, scoring twice and picking up an assist.
Yang Min-Hyeok tipped for bright future at Tottenham Hotspur
The winger hardly set the second tier alight but there were moments of promise. The forward showed drive and a desire to make things happen, making an impact as soon as he entered the pitch for his debut against Millwall in February.
Speaking about the player’s development towards the end of last term, Cifuentes said: “He’s progressing, doing well. The last two games at home especially, he did well. The impact from the bench against Portsmouth was very positive.
“He’s growing, learning our way of playing and the pace of the game. He’s doing good things and is still a young lad that needs to keep learning and improving some areas. His attitude is top. He is dangerous and has the pace to go forward, get in behind and go one vs one.”
In reality, still a teenager and having just moved to the UK, that loan may have come a little too soon. For the 2025/26 season, Yang will likely be best off progressing by training with the Spurs first team squad and enjoying minutes for the under-21 side.
Yang tipped to follow in footsteps of Son Heung-min
Tottenham Hotspur supporters should be excited. After the player signed for QPR, Korean football expert Joel Kim told LondonWorld why there is so much hype around the youngster in his home country. He said: “We want him to be the best he can be and to take Korean football to another level, he’s the youngest player to have been recruited by a Premier League club.
“He’s going to break those records being so young and already making an impact. We are hoping that Son Heung-Min’s ceiling will be Yang’s floor, if he can take Korean football to another level. We’re seeing some promising signs of that for sure, especially with his adjustment to the Championship. We have hopes but it’s too soon to say he’ll be the next Son Heung-min or the next legend. Only time will tell.”
There can be no underestimating the impact that Son can have on Yang either. Two players with a similar profile on the pitch, Son also knows what it takes to adjust to a new country and can be a father figure to Yang.
Keane Lewis-Potter progress offers hope for Frank and Yang
Frank has experience developing young wingers, with the progress of Keane Lewis-Potter at Brentford an easy comparison. The former Bees manager worked closely with Lewis-Potter, whose more slender build is similar to that of Yang, to create a versatile player ready for any challenge. That adaptability and knowhow is exactly what he must foster in Yang.
Speaking about Lewis-Potter after he signed a new contract in January, Frank said: "I'm very happy that we've agreed a new contract with Keane. He has been through a great development over the last couple of years.
"We know that he's an offensive player - a winger - mostly, but he can play all the front four roles; what he's also turned out to be is a very flexible and versatile player that can play multiple other positions, which he has shown this season by playing games at left-back, where he has done fantastically.
"For me, he is a fantastic Brentford player with a big skillset: one-on-one he is fantastic, his crossing is very good, and the way he helps the team is also so good. There is a big future for him here at Brentford."
Lewis-Potter has been outspoken in praise for Frank too, highlighting how good the manager is with young talents. Speaking about his positional change, Lewis-Potter said: “Thomas Frank called me into his office to speak with him… I thought I was in trouble! But he sat me down and just said, ‘I’ve got an idea’.
“He explained that he wanted me to play left-back and detailed what he thought I could do to help the team in that position. At the end, he just asked me, ‘Would you be okay with that?’. I could have turned around and told him I didn’t want to do it! But as soon as he described the plan he had for me, I just said: ‘I’ll do whatever you want me to for this team’.
It’s too early to be putting pressure on Yang, but Frank has the credentials to help the South Korean reach lofty heights and maybe even become a world-beater.
In other news, Tottenham legend claims deal could already been done for £30m Son Heung-min replacement.