Minsu Kim has been backed to succeed at Rangers by his former Girona teammate Yangel Herrera, who insists the £8.5million transfer hype is justified. The 20-year-old winger made just five appearances for Girona before joining Rangers in the summer window.
Herrera's praise for Kim
Herrera, who left Girona for Real Sociedad 12 months ago, was at the Spanish club when Kim was trying to break into the first team. Speaking to media ahead of the international friendly between South Korea and Venezuela this lunchtime, Herrera had warm words for the youngster.
"I saw Minsu Kim at Girona when he was still very young. He had great ability and was an outstanding player," said Herrera, a former Manchester City midfielder. "That was also how he was regarded within the club. He has moved to Rangers, but I'm rooting for him to continue developing his strong abilities and grow into an even better player."
Kim's early Rangers impact
Kim is set to register a goal or assist in his six outings for Rangers and missed a penalty in a 1-0 win over Motherwell. However, he caught the eye in the back-to-back wins over Celtic last month that secured Derek McInnnes' side's place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final and reduced the deficit to the Hoops at the top of the table to just two points.
International debut nerves
Kim won his first senior cap for South Korea as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Ecuador last Thursday and appeared from the bench once again four days later as his country went down 4-1 to Uruguay. The former FC Andorra loanee admitted he was wracked with nerves before making his international bow.
"I was more nervous and trembling than in any game in my life because I was representing the Republic of Korea," he said. "It was a dream come true because it was a situation I had always wished for and so even though it was short, it felt wonderful."
Kim also praised new manager Robert Moreno, saying: "He explained the team's tactics in detail, so I understood them well and was able to make a good debut, I think. He taught me how to be effective as a winger. But I was very nervous because it was my debut and I know how heavy the weight of the national team is. I will work even harder to fully prove I belong at this level."
He added: "I didn't know I would play in the first match after being selected in the squad. To increase my playing time going forward, I must be well prepared. I will give everything to play for the national team again."
