Celtic’s three signings from the J-League, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi all arrived with amid much excitement following in the footsteps of trailblazer Kyogo who signed for Celtic last July.
It’s fair to say that three of these J-League signings made a significant contribution to Celtic’s successful campaign whereas one had to endure a frustrating start to his time as a Celtic player, suffering a bad injury at Alloa in the Scottish Cup at the end of January.
A number of substitute appearances have been about the extent of Ideguchi’s Celtic story so far but the 25 year old midfielder has ever intention of putting that right in the new season to justify the trust placed in him by Ange Postecoglou who had selected all four players based on the immediate impact he know they could bring to the Celtic team he was building.
The midfielder, while back home in Japan has spoken to Japanese media outlet Sports Graphic Number Web about all that’s happened so far in his second spell playing in European football and his determination to follow Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate in making a real name for themselves in a Celtic jersey.
“I had always wanted to go abroad again. When Celtic contacted me last fall, I made an immediate decision. The last time I was abroad for a year and a half, I only felt frustrated. I was determined to see how much I could do. I have a strong desire to make up for it.
“I was out of action for almost six months in Leon, which was tough. After that I had some injuries, so I went back to Japan in a way that wasn’t ideal for me. This will be my second attempt (in Europe) at Celtic.
“I am absolutely determined to get a result. Here at Celtic, it is easy to blend in as a club, and above all, there is a lot of respect for Japanese players because (Kyogo) Furuhashi has achieved results before me.
“Reo (Hatate) is also in the same position. Having a Japanese player in the team makes it easier, but it is also a limited position. I think it’s great that Reo got results first, but of course it’s frustrating (not playing).
“In order to secure a permanent position here, I have to show my play and features more fully. Celtic’s football is very aggressive, so if I were to show my strengths, it would be in switching between offense and defense.
“I hope I can make the switch from defence to attack and from attack to defence. There are many offensive players in midfield, so I hope to bring out my strengths which are different from those.”
With Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic leaving Celtic at the end of last season there may be more of an opportunity for Ideguchi to establish himself in the Celtic first team and Ange Postecoglou has always spoken confidently about just exactly that happening.
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David Potter’s new book, Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style is featured in the new edition of the Celtic View which is out now and available from the Celtic Stores. You can also pick up the Willie Fernie book there too or order direct from Celtic Star Books, link below…
