The Spurs loanee has two goals and one assist in his last three games
Pompey home comforts are helping man-of-the-moment Minhyeok Yang flourish - both on and off the pitch.
According to John Mousinho, the 19-year-old is blossoming in the Fratton Park dressing room after impressively integrating with his new team-mates, with the Blues now reaping the rewards.
And Mousinho is delighted with how the left winger has bridged any language barrier and bonded with playing colleagues, while shining in the Championship.
Portsmouth boss: Minhyeok understands English very, very well
Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘Minhyeok’s living on his own, but has plenty of people around him. There's plenty of contact with his family and his agent is always over, making sure he’s settling in nicely.
‘He has struck up a couple of friendships with the boys as well. That’s one of the good things at Portsmouth, everybody lives fairly close by and we’ve got a young-enough group to have that camaraderie and togetherness.
‘Minhyeok understands English very, very well. He’s getting better at speaking and more confident. To be honest, it's more of a confidence thing than anything else - and I understand that.
Minhyeok Yang has been in impressive form for Pompey. Picture: Graham Huntplaceholder image
Minhyeok Yang has been in impressive form for Pompey. Picture: Graham Hunt
‘We have a really young lad, who is very, very respectful, and naturally very quiet anyway, but he’s quickly becoming quite popular. He was popular anyway before he’d come into the team and had the impact, the lads have taken really well to him.
‘When you obviously now have that contribution on the pitch, it probably helps as well in terms of that integration. He is coming on very, very nicely. If he was sitting in listening to this I think he’d understand everything I’m saying.
‘Minhyeok looks like he takes everything on board and I am sure we will keep getting him out of his shell and, in a few months, we’ll hear a bit more from him.’
Two goals and one assist in last three outings
Having featured in Pompey’s opening two matches, Yang didn’t appear in their next five fixtures, albeit missing Sheffield Wednesday with an ankle knock.
There was also the crucial opportunity to spend the September international break working on the training pitch under Mousinho to adjust to demands at his new club.
And, since returning to the side at the end that month for the trip to Ipswich, the teenager has gone from strength to strength.
‘A bit fitter and a bit sharper’
Mousinho added: ‘Minhyeok looks a bit fitter and a bit sharper, those are the main differences.
‘He has trained well since he has come in, it has never been an issue. Obviously the acid test is what you produce on the football pitch, but you have to be patient with any young lad, especially an 18-19 year-old.
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‘He has only been in the country for 10 months. It was a massive adjustment for him going to QPR in the first place, then being away with Spurs pre-season. To then come to us was a big adjustment again.
‘That was the main level of caution. It was never on whether we thought he would have an impact or not. Sometimes with the under-21s which come out of the Premier League sides at the back end, it just takes a minute for them to get going.’
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