REO HATATE’S lack of fitness was well documented after he joined Celtic, with many fans unfairly turning on Ange Postecogou’s signing.

Supporters were crying out for the player to be dropped from the starting eleven, but the Celtic manager was determined not to drop Hatate as he felt he could still effectively contribute to the team.

Opening up on his fitness concerns, Hatate revealed he had held chats with Ange Postecoglou who backed the player, believing dropping him would harm the team. the midfielder revealed; [Sportiva]

“Since I became a professional, I have not had a lot of time off, and I have been going, but due to the accumulation of fatigue, my momentum had dropped to the point where I had to admit it to myself.

“Therefore, when I had a meeting with the coach, I wanted to play in the game, but I also showed my true feelings. I don’t know if I can continue to play like this, and to be honest, I don’t think I’m playing the way the coach wants me to.

“At that time, the coach replied that there’s a lot of things that I’m able to do. Maybe I’m not doing it individually, but there are a lot of things that I’m able to do for the team. Instead of looking at what was lacking, he made me look where I was able to do it.

“When I expressed my true feelings, I was prepared to be removed from the group. But when the squad for the next game was announced, when I looked at my name, I was in the starting lineup.

“The coach’s words and his mindset helped me fight until the end of the season.”

Did Ange Postecoglou Make The Correct Decision?

Hatate was done in, it was clear to see. However, the manager is experienced and will have had similar scenarios to deal with in the past. Although, saying that, when Hatate came on from off the pitch in Celtic’s thrashing of Motherwell, he looked much sharper and his fatigue wasn’t obvious.

Ultimately, his decision to persevere with Hatate didn’t come back to haunt us, and he’s going to be fully rested heading into next season which is an exciting prospect.