Hayato Inamura has been speaking about his time in Scotland after returning to Japan to join FC Tokyo on loan just six months after signing for Celtic. The left-back joined Celtic from J-League side Albirex Niigata, signing a four year deal and was one of the summer arrivals that Brendan Rodgers labelled as ‘club signings’.
He made one competitive appearance in the win at Celtic Park at the start of the season and played very well. However Brendan Rodgers had concerns about the level the player was at, especially defensively, after working with him during the pre-season and the early weeks of the season.
Speaking to The Celtic Star, Brendan Rodgers was asked by Conor Spence about his decision to omit Inamura from his Champions League squad ahead of the ill-fated qualifier against Kairat Almaty. The then Celtic manager replied:
“He’s not quite at the level as of yet that I would expect. The plan for Inamura was to come in and train and see where he was at with the possibility of going out on loan because he’s only had a year’s football.
“He came in as a centre half stroke left back, but his defensive qualities aren’t at the level that would see me put him in. So it’s as simple as that. So that’s why he’s not involved.
“He’s played in some really good games against Cork and Queen’s Park, but the reality is that’s the level that you play, you get 80% of the ball and you’ve got the ball. But we also need a player that can defend. And we’re hoping that over the couple of years with experience and with maybe a loan, that can that that can take place.
“But at this very, very moment, that’s why he’s not in the squad. It’s as simple as that,” Brendan Rodgers told The Celtic Star.
So in many ways the return to Japan for a loan spell is hardly unexpected, indeed such a move was always in the plan and perhaps advice that the player has been given from Daizen Maeda has influenced the choice of club for the loan especially as the player has now spoken about things being tough for him in Scotland.
Hayato Inamura has been talking about leaving Celtic to join FC Tokyo on loan until the end of the season.
“It was difficult in many ways. It was a tough time for me. There are things I can say and things I can’t say. But there really was a difference in football ability,” Inamura said as reported by Scottish Sun.
“I was confident I could reach that level if I could play in the games, but I wasn’t given the chance. And I had mental ups and downs.
“Daizen Maeda told me I could definitely launch my career again if I returned home to Japan and that encouraged me. After thinking about what I needed for my career, I decided to move to FC Tokyo. I want to test myself and work hard to reach a higher level.
“My first priority will be to break into the team because there are good players here.”
Whether we’ll see much of Hayato Inamura in a Celtic jersey over the next three seasons remains to be seen. Getting more game-time in Japan is going to help a perhaps another loan spell in Scotland or maybe south of the border may help his development.
What is clear is that the player, by his own admission and by the assessment of Brendan Rodgers, is currently well short of the level required at Celtic, although standards have been slipping recently.
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Any time i watched him he looked good. His passing was good .Good movement. His long range passing was very high standard.
For someone that appears to write for a living, your research with regard to Inamura is/was sadly lacking. If you had really done research on Rodgers e.g., you would have found that he was in no way adept on defensive side of football. Examples, look at deficiencies in Europe, the Dortmund and Athletico fiascos. Yet he is telling us Inamura was not good enough, he burned Iwata (captain at Birmingham), Lagerbielke, Valle, Nawrocki to name a few. He told us that Murray was brilliant; he was good at putting the ball in his own net. And, Ralston, yeah that Ralston should get more playing time. Rodgers too, loved himself a Kenny and an Idah, two of the poorest technical players I have seen.
The fact that you did not research the following quotes from your own story “It was difficult in many ways. It was a tough time for me. There are things I can say and things I can’t say. But there really was a difference in football ability,” Inamura said as reported by Scottish Sun.
“I was confident I could reach that level if I could play in the games, but I wasn’t given the chance. And I had mental ups and downs. Simply stated, Rodgers ruined that kid’s confidence. You write ‘by his own admission’. He is still a Celtic player he will not open that door.
Did you speak with Inamura? No, you did not! Mistakes in player evaluations are always made, Kevin DeBruyne was told by Mourinho he was not good enough.
Atletico!
Another player ruined by Rodgers!
Joe
Please go for a stroll at peak time on the M8