Reo Hatate has achieved so already since arriving at Celtic early in January, winning the Goal of the Month for both January and February and impressing the Celtic support with his performances. The midfielder has quickly got used to the competitive nature of playing football in Scotland and nothing really fazes to 24 year old who last week made his full international debut for Japan in the World Cup qualifier against Vietnam.
Hatate had previously been called up to play for Japan at the Olympics and of course he’s experienced success at club level in the J-League winning the title with Kawasaki Frontale in the season before last.
His stunning strike at Tynecastle set the tone for his arrival as a Celtic first team regular and when he followed this up with a double against theRangers on 2 February Hatate’s was the name on everyone’s lips in a match that had attracted a huge global audience. That exposure and his own performance may well have played a part in his subsequent international debut for World Cup bound Japan.
Today Hatate will be looking to make an impact at Ibrox and will have a big advantage in not really understanding a word of what the Ibrox support are shouting or chanting.
Hatate in his Celtic View interview reported today in Daily Record recalls his journey and reflects on his determination to succeed as a professional footballer while studying at University to become a PE teacher.
“At university, I was studying at the faculty of sports and health science. It was all about the science of the human body and nutrition. But I also got a licence to be a PE teacher.
“For four years I had to study as well as training hard to try and become a professional footballer. It wasn’t easy for me at that time because I had to have a lot of discipline but it was a great experience.
“I had dreamed about becoming a football player before going to university. But I started to have a clear vision of exactly what I wanted to do and which team I wanted to play for.”
J-League title success two seasons ago with Kawasaki Frontale was followed by playing at the 2020 Olympics with his national side before landing a move to Celtic and a senior call-up for Japan against Vietnam in a World Cup qualifier.
The all-action star has already ticked off most of his ambitions. He said: “I couldn’t have imagined I’d achieve this. I didn’t think I’d play at such a high level, for Celtic and for the national team.”
If Reo can repeat his heroics from Tynecastle – another hostile away ground – or Celtic Park on 2 February then he’ll be elevated even further in the Celtic support’s estimation of a player who is already writing his own part in Celtic’s wonderful unbroken history. Best of luck today Reo!
