Yosuke Ideguchi has opened up on his ill-fated spell in Scottish football with Celtic and revealed that he is bitterly disappointed with how it has gone. The 26-year-old arrived at Celtic Park last January transfer window with his comrades, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate but failed to live up to expectations unlike his fellow countrymen.
It wasn’t just his form in all fairness; a really nasty tackle against Alloa Athletic last year saw him injured for a considerable period of time and by that point Hatate and Maeda had already cemented themselves as crucial contributors to Angeball. A case of severe bad luck in Yosuke’s progress and he found himself on the periphery of the squad from there on in.
The former Leeds United and Gamb Osaka man joined Avispa Fukuoka on an initial loan deal this month, after manager, Ange Postecoglou gave him his blessing to seal a return to his birthplace and resurrect his career back in the J-League where Celtic scooped him from just last year. The transfer was only nominal in regards fees and will not break the bank for the Bhoys in what was a low-risk registration at a time when we needed bodies for a title charge.
Speaking about his time at Paradise, Ideguchi said: “I am fit, I have been in full training for a long time. I am ready to play in a full game with my new club,” as reported by Football Scotland. “I’m not going to look back at Celtic with any regrets, but I can’t honestly say it was a success. Even when I wasn’t playing I made sure I gave everything in training. I believe I improved as a player at Celtic and I am stronger for my time there.”
He said: “I still have the ambition to play for Japan. I have suffered disappointment before when I missed the cut for the 2018 World Cup, but I cheered for them like everyone else in Qatar. I’ve had a brilliant reception from everyone at Avispa since I came here on loan and I can’t wait to get started in the league.”
It’s such a shame that Yosuke couldn’t reproduce the same level of performance that he was so highly sought after for when he broke into the Japanese national team a few years back. He really was touted as a superstar for the future of Japanese football and it’s always sad when potential doesn’t turn into the real thing. He has been unlucky with injuries though and at just 26, there is plenty of football left in him. He’s clearly still very highly regarded back home and there was a raft of interest in his services when it became known he was available this transfer window.
Hopefully Gucci can rediscover some of that early form that saw him break into the national team several years ago.
Paul Gillespie
