Reo Hatate

I hope he stays fit this season, as we struggled for mobility against teams who sat back at times.

 

It's daft to think he will be here for many many years. He's always stated his ambitions.
That said, he signed a new deal during the last season, so I'm not expecting him to angle for a move this year. But next summer he will, surely.


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He needs to get fit first and stop blowing out his * after 60 minutes. A tremendous player who really needs a good season.

 

Hopefully he’s at his best this season, which would mean we’d get a great season from him and then a great fee for him. Best player in the country by a distance on his day but just needs to find that consistency

 

Still feel he has a huge amount of development to do.

He turned pro so late in comparison to others, and missed virtually all of last season.

He needs to work on his fitness and decision making before he moves to a top European team.

That said, he does a lot of things exceptionally. The way the guards the ball and takes it on the half turn in tight areas is something rarely seen in central midfielders.

 

Think that was the one thing he improved on last season. Don't remember him actually dropping off the pace at the end of the game. Just wasn't close to as good as he has been.

 

If he can get back to his 22/23 form it’ll genuinely be like a new signing.

Hatate, McGregor, Bernardo and a proper number 6 would give us incredible strength in midfield. Plus the likes of Iwata and whoever else.

 

https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/football/wfootball/2024/07/11/post_89/


Faynoord and Lazio played against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season]
Ryohei Hayashi (hereinafter: Hayashi):　How many Champions League (CL) games did you play last season?

Reo Hatate (hereinafter referred to as Hatate):　I played in three games last season, but I got injured early (in the 7th minute of the first half) in the game against Atletico Madrid, so I actually only played in two games, against Feyenoord and Lazio.



How did you feel playing against Feyenoord and Lazio in the Champions League?

Honestly　, I have a strong image of playing against Real Madrid (in the 2022-23 season), but I got the impression that the characteristics of football are completely different depending on the country. While Feyenoord values the ball, the speed at which they switch from defense to offense and go on the attack seems much faster than Scotland. However, we also had our chances, so I think the result would have been different if we had been able to score those chances. When we played against Lazio, the manager had not yet been replaced.

The team　was led by manager Maurizio Sarri.

Hatate　: That's right. The coach organized the team well, and it was interesting to watch them play, but what I felt was the sheer physical ability of each player. I really felt that the players playing in the so-called big five leagues have high physical ability, and the Champions League was the only place where I was able to experience that.

　Who do you think is the best player at Lazio ?

In the match I played against, Pedro came on as a substitute　. He can run for the team, and in the last minute of our match, he scored a goal. Even watching from the bench, I felt he was amazing to come on as a substitute and do that. I also thought that number 10 Luis Alberto, (Kamada) Daichi, and anchor Matias Vecino were good, but personally, I felt that Pedro was amazing.

Valverde was faster than expected
Hayashi　: You mentioned earlier that playing against Real Madrid left a strong impression on you. Was it really a shocking experience?

The flag bearer　was quite shocking.

Hayashi:　Who was particularly impressive?

Honestly　, everyone. It's not about who was great, everyone was great. Among them, if I had to pick one, I'd say Federico Valverde and Luka Modric. They were just amazing



Hayashi: When you see Modric or Valverde on the　pitch, don't you feel like a fangirl? They're amazing people.

Before the match, the flag bearers　line up, don't they? When Thibaut Courtois was there, I thought, "Wow, he's so big!" After that, there were many famous players, so I thought, "Wow, he's so amazing," but before the whistle blew to start the match, that feeling disappeared and I switched to fighting mode. The moment the whistle blew, I no longer had that admiration for him.




So you're basically in the zone.

Flag bearer　: That's right. I was in the zone.

Hayashi: Is Valverde on the　pitch also a monstrous athlete?

Hatate　was fast. I think you can tell from watching the video that he's fast, but he was a lot faster than I imagined. He's also smart, so he knew when to go out and when to hold back, and when to pick up the tempo a little in attack and when to drop it, so I thought he was amazing.

Hayashi　: Real Madrid won the Champions League this season.

Flag bearer　: That's right. You'd think, "That's..."


The atmosphere in the city is different from the day before the derby match]
Celtic Park, Hayashi　's home ground, always attracts a large number of spectators, but will the Old Firm match (against Rangers) be particularly exciting?

There is a lot of support at the home　stadium every time, so I feel really happy to be able to play in that kind of atmosphere as a soccer player. The cheers and the number of people are great. But on derby days, the atmosphere in the town feels a little different from the day before the game.

The Hayashi　Derby is really special.

Last season, Celtic supporters were not allowed to enter the away game against Rangers　. So, it was just Rangers fans and supporters, but I actually felt good playing in that environment. The feeling of playing in front of the opposing supporters is a bit addictive (laughs).


　Although we couldn't score a goal away, whenever we played well, the local people would make noises like "Ah, Ah" whether they liked it or not. When I heard that, I couldn't help but feel like "That's good, that's good." It was a reaction that I rarely experience in Japan. I think it's great to be able to play in that kind of atmosphere, and I also feel that the players have a different intensity around the ball than in other league games.

Hayashi: Perhaps it is because he　is used to playing in front of full spectators all the time that he is able to play with the same calmness as always, even when he returns to Japan to play for the Japanese national team and plays in a packed stadium.

Even as the flag bearer　, I get nervous when I play for the Japanese national team, not because of the people around me, but because I'm wearing that uniform. It's a good kind of tension. I've always wanted to wear that uniform, so I still get nervous and excited when I put it on. It doesn't matter if there are a lot of spectators or not.

Hayashi　: When I put on the Japan national team uniform, I feel a sense of responsibility.

Flag Bearer　: That uniform is special. I haven't worn it that many times, but I still feel a sense of pride every time I wear it.


Playing in Glasgow is special]
Returning to the Old Firm, is the reaction in the city different the day before and the day after the derby?

Flag bearer　: Not at all. When I stayed at the hotel the night before the first derby (after joining the team for the 2021-22 season), I think it was a Rangers fan or supporter who set off fireworks. Probably to keep us from sleeping.

Hayashi　: This is a common story overseas.

There were fireworks going off outside the stadium　. Then, I scored a goal in the game against Rangers the next day (February 3, 2022), and when I went out the next day, a Rangers fan saw me driving and gave me the finger. That's when I realized I was playing in Europe



That's something that's unique to Europe.

The atmosphere is really different the day before and the day after the match because they are the flag bearers　. You can see that everyone is cheering with pride. For Celtic, everyone has pride as a Celtic fan, and for Rangers, everyone has pride as a Rangers fan.

　For example, a Rangers fan came to repair my house. I knew he had a Rangers logo on his phone. I thought, "Oh, is this okay?" He repaired my house, and he said, "I'm proud of this (Rangers)." He also said, "But I'm rooting for you, so do your best." I think that fans and supporters of any team have that kind of kindness while being proud.

Hayashi:　After all, the culture of football is deeply rooted here.

Hatate:　I feel that strongly. I think that being able to play in that stadium and in that city is something special for me as a player. I haven't played for any other European teams, so I can't compare it, but I feel like it's something special.



A voice comes from the audience requesting that they play]
--I heard that at Celtic Park, words like "Turn" (face forward) and "Manon" (the opponent is coming) echo through the stadium. The voices from the stands help the players to notice and avoid danger. I've also heard that this is one of Celtic Park's strengths.

I don't know if it was Hatate　or the fans or supporters who said it, but I've heard it before. Also, when there's a shooting scene or a situation where you can shoot from outside the penalty area, they say "Shoo!" to mean "Take it!" That's also amazing.

Hayashi: The style of cheering is different in Europe　and Japan. I think that if the way we look at the pitch changes, the Japanese soccer world will grow even more, so I think that is also my job (as a commentator).

　We're running out of time, so let's wrap it up. How did you feel about this first interview?

Hatate　: I had a fun time talking about soccer. For me, it was nice to talk with someone whose voice I always listen to as a commentator for the Premier League. However, I didn't get to share any small stories this time, so I regret that I could have provided more material (laughs).

I spoke seriously, Hayashi　(laughs). I was also honored to have the opportunity to talk with Hatate this time. When I am in charge of Celtic's matches in the CL next season, I would like to not only comment on their good plays, but also introduce the content of what we talked about this time as short stories, so I look forward to it (laughs).

 

Celtic have rejected an approach from Russia for their Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate

The Parkhead club were asked earlier this week to open negotiations with an unnamed club from the Mir Russian Premier League.

Hatate has been a key player since moving to Scotland two and a half years ago, but Celtic’s reluctance to let the 26-year-old go has been heightened by concerns over dealing with Russian clubs following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022


Russia has since been banned from international football while UEFA, European football’s governing body, have maintained a complete ban on Russian sides playing in continental competitions. The European Union have also imposed widescale sanctions on Russian businesses and individuals .

Celtic rejected the invitation to begin transfer talks over Hatate before a fee was discussed

 

Hope there's nobody watching him tonight. Looking on top form. Imagine losing him and MOR, would be near impossible to replace.

 

Atalanta are preparing a £2.1 million bid as we speak.

 

He has a few deficiencies in his game, as all Celtic players will have, but when he’s on his game he’s exceptional.

I particularly love the way he can take the ball with his back to goal in the middle of the park and protect it. He must have some core strength about him.

 

Schooled that Chelsea midfield

 

Improved physically, clearly been working hard on that aspect of his game.
Looks sharp, energised and should be big for us.
Would like to see him shoot a bit more.

 

They are about to raise the stakes. Preparing a second bid of £2.2m as we speak.

 

A fully fit and firing Hatate is quite a proposition.

 

Long may this spell of fitness and form continue. A fit and firing Hatate is a game changer for us.

 

Outstanding last night, looked very sharp.

 

Leicester interested according to McGowan

https://x.com/MailSport/status/1817668821672440126?t=xJdiPTQFqczx2o-TtFkShw&s=19