REO Hatate has had his latest column on the Japanese site Sportiva published, where the midfielder discussed many different topics.
Amid speculation about his future following Ange Postecoglou’s departure, Reo Hatate has hinted that he doesn’t plan to leave the club.
The talented midfielder has already set his sights on achieving new goals for the upcoming season.
He wrote: [Sportiva]
“Looking back on my own season, I played 32 league games, scoring six goals and assisting nine. In all official games, I had nine goals and 11 assists.
“I was aiming for double-figure goals and double-figure assists, so while I achieved my assists, I didn’t reach my goalscoring target, which will be the challenge for next season.”
Hatate, who played a crucial role in Celtic’s treble-winning campaign, admitted to feeling a hint of envy towards his compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi, who swept the board in the Player of the Year awards in Scotland, but Hatate feels that he could’ve won the award if he had worked harder.
“Kyogo was named Scottish Premiership Player of the Year. As a fellow Japanese player, I felt proud, but also frustrated. If I had worked harder, I could have won that honour.
“On the one hand, I was happy for him but on the other hand, I frankly felt frustrated. It will motivate me even further to grow as a player. In the Scottish league, a foreign country, a Japanese player scored 27 goals and became the top scorer. This is no easy feat. That’s why I’m happy that I was able to make a small contribution with my assists.”
The highlight of his season came against St Mirren, but he also expressed his other moments which gave him some satisfaction.
“It’s been three and a half years since I turned professional and I’ve been lucky enough to win the title every year. No matter how many times we have won, none of them have been the same and each time we get a different sense of fulfilment and achievement, probably because of that explosive joy shown by the fans who cheer us on.
“I was thinking about that watching the joy of the supporters at Hampden Park after our 3-1 win over Inverness in the Scottish Cup Final. The smiles I have seen since joining Celtic inspire me to get better and help me to grow.
“Kyogo scored the opening goal and I always try to make use of his quickness of movement, and this season, when I looked up on the pitch, I first looked for him and tried to pass to him as much as possible.
“My personal favourite moments of the season were assists against Hearts and St Mirren in the league and the one I gave to Kyogo in the League Cup Final. Many of the goals he has scored have been one-touch goals and that’s because of his movement.”
It was a great season for Hatate who was one of Celtic’s consistent performers. He’s now got a much-deserved chance with his national team, and he’ll be keen to impress.
