Reo Hatate had a very difficult season at Celtic under new boss, Brendan Rodgers.
Relegated to the bench for the opening two games of the season, Rodgers preferred David Turnbull to the Japan international in a move that surprised every Celtic fan.
Hatate was brought to the club in December 2021 and made his Celtic debut the following January. The Japanese midfielder made an instant impression on the Hoops’ support after a thunderous goal against Hearts at Tynecastle announced his name on the Scottish scene.
Then came the incredible performance he put in against Rangers in the 3-0 win in February where Hatate netted twice and created one as Ange Postecoglou‘s team destroyed the Ibrox club to go top of the league.
And now, after making his return from a season blighted by injury, Hatate is back with the Japan squad as he looks to help Hajime Moriyasu qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Hatate is loving Moriyasu’s Japan experiment
Taking in a training session with Moriyasu, the Japan manager was spotted trying new things with the Celtic midfielder.
Moriyasu had Hatate playing as a half-back, attacking midfielder and even on the wings and the Celtic midfielder admitted he really enjoyed trying ‘new things’.
Hatate said [Ultra Soccer], “I think it’s really good to try new things.
“I hope that I can clear my mind as an individual and as a team and express it on the pitch.
“I think these two matches are important for me and the team, so I hope we can get a good result as a team and stick to the content.
On competition for a starting place for the upcoming Japan fixtures, Hatate continued, “I want to get my own results, but if I stick to that, it can have a positive impact on the team or have a negative impact on the team.
“So I want to keep an eye on the team’s situation and aim for it if there is a situation where I can aim for it.”
Hatate’s versatility is something that has always been a strength at all the clubs he’s ever played at.
Celtic use him primarily as an attacking midfielder but Moriyasu has been known to utilise him in various positions in the Japan team.
Whether Celtic will do that is questionable because if anything has taught us about Hatate over the last two seasons is that he is one of Celtic’s most dangerous players dictating play from the midfield and that is where the Hoops support will likely continue to see him play whilst he is at the club.