Reo Hatate is something of a 'street footballer' according to former Celtic captain Paul Lambert but will improve tenfold in Glasgow.
The Japanese midfielder has had a landmark year at Parkhead after arriving from the J-League in January last year alongside fellow countrymen Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi. Hatate has made 27 appearances for Ange Postecoglou's men and has ten goal contributions despite only being in football for just over five years.
Lambert insists that he is a different kind of player to what Parkhead fans have seen with his 'streetwise' skills but need only look to established captain Callum McGregor for the blueprint of how to become a memorable figure in the east end of Glasgow.
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He told The Celtic Way: "As I say, I cannot fault Hatate for the way he has come into the Celtic team and made an impression; he’s made his presence felt. He plays with great enthusiasm, and it will surprise you, but a lot of players do not have that natural enthusiasm for the game. You cannot take that away from him.
“He has a bit of the street footballer about him, the way he pings passes and the five-a-side-like goal he scored against Motherwell at Fir Park where he dragged the ball from one foot to the other. These are all street footballer moves, but the trick here is to become more streetwise on the park and play more intelligently with your brain. That is what separates the truly great players from the good ones.
“The likes of Callum McGregor can lend a helping hand and bring Hatate’s game on in that regard. It is all part of his learning process. As he gets older, he will get wiser, and he has a great manager in the shape of Postecoglou to guide him on the path. He is also playing his club football in a great place.
“The challenge is to keep peaking and progressing and show everybody that both he and Celtic belong at Champions League level.”
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