Reo Hatate says he's been keeping a close eye on Brighton games to study the talents of top Japanese star Kaoru Mitoma.
The two former Kawasaki Frontale men linked up on international duty and the relationship between the sought-after Celtic midfielder and the Brighton winger goes back to their stints in the J-League. Hatate, despite impressing in Glasgow, was the subject of consecutive snubs by national boss Hajime Moriyasu but now seems to be in the plans as he starred in a rout against El Salvador.
Parkhead pal Kyogo Furuhashi was on target for the Samuari Blue with a header while the only Hoops member to be selected for the World Cup in Qatar, Daizen Maeda, was resigned to the bench. Hatate was previously hailed by tricky winger Mitoma who he claimed had "inspired him" with his form in the Scottish Premiership.
And the feeling between the two countrymen is mutual as Hatate spoke of his hours of studying Mitoma's play at the Amex, with the 25-year-old Hoops playmaker previously linked with a move to Roberto De Zerbi's side.
He told Soccer Digest: "I think Kaoru is the one who is leading the Japan national team, so I want to show my value when I play. I want to be able to be equal, not to be treated as an equal.
“I have been watching (Brighton’s) games on TV all the time, so it was stimulating, and I could feel his strengths and growth from playing with him, so I will absorb those things.
“I tend to focus on the offence, but the switch from offence to defence was very fast, and the intensity of pressing has also become faster. There were a lot of things that I felt when I worked with him. I felt we were growing."
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