Reo Hatate has given a fascinating interview to Japanese media this week discussing how he has been impacted by injuries this season and his philosophy on recovering to play for Celtic.
The Japanese midfielder has been plagued with fitness issues throughout the campaign. He has only managed to make eight starts in total under Brendan Rodgers.
Thankfully, those problems look to be behind him. Hatate returned to the Celtic starting line-up last week against Livingston and played a pivotal role in the victory.
Now he’s set for a starring role in the derby away to Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday. Ahead of that, Hatate told an outlet in his homeland that he’s desperate to show Celtic supporters what they’ve been missing.
The internationalist reflected on his journey back to fitness and the philosophy behind the hard work he’s put in at Lennoxtown to get himself ready for future challenges.
Reo Hatate on his Celtic comeback
Hatate told Sportiva [Translated by DeepL]: “It is unlikely that anyone will have everything go smoothly in their lives. If you live your life, you will often find that what seemed like a roundabout way to you is actually a shortcut. Sometimes, what you thought you didn’t need to experience can later turn out to be a good thing.
“The same is true of injuries, and I realised that whether I thought it was a waste of time or even beneficial depends on my own way of thinking and how I perceive it.
“And during the rehabilitation period leading up to my return, I have been reviewing my preparation for the games, my physical strength, my training content, my diet, and everything else I could review and work on.
“Personally, I would like to win as many trophies as possible, and I would like to show Celtic fans and supporters that “Celtic needs Reo Hatate” again.”
Hatate can quickly be a hero again
Celtic fans remain enamoured with the Japanese talent. Supporters were impressed with his performance against Livi and reckon his style of play is what the midfield has badly lacked of late.
His quick thinking and vision can really sharpen up the team’s forward, attacking play, helping to get the best out of talents such as Kyogo Furuhashi.
If he wants to prove his true worth to Celtic then this run of high-stakes fixtures is the perfect opportunity for him. If Hatate helps inspire his team to a league and cup double then no one will be in any doubt about how much the Bhoys need him.