ANGE POSTECOGLOU says that in-form Reo Hatate should be aiming for a place in Japan’s World Cup squad, and has backed the midfielder to prove he belongs at such a level in the long term by continuing his rapid improvement with Celtic.
Hatate still harbours ambitions of making his nation’s final squad for Qatar despite being cut from head coach Hajime Moriyasu’s original 29-man list for the recent warm-up friendly against the USA, and Postecoglou feels that his sparkling form can only have aided his case for inclusion.
But the Celtic manager also thinks that Hatate is mentally strong enough to handle the disappointment should Moriyasu not select him, and tipped him to go on to make himself impossible to ignore in the future through his performances at club level.
