Kyogo Furuhashi further solidified his place in Celtic hearts with a standout performance in the season’s opening Glasgow Derby, which saw the Hoops clinch a 1-0 win at Ibrox.
The Japanese international dazzled with a half-volleyed strike, marking his sixth goal in Glasgow Derby encounters. His record even surpasses that of Celtic legend Henrik Larsson during his initial 88 appearances for the club. Although comparing Kyogo to the revered Larsson is premature, the statistics underline Kyogo’s significant impact.
Arriving for £4.5 million during Ange Postecoglou’s first summer with the club, he’s made a superb impact and has recently signed a new deal with the club.
With a tally of 57 goals and 11 assists in just 88 matches, Kyogo’s contribution has been immense. His remarkable performances led Scottish footballing icon Kenny Dalglish to brand him the transfer bargain of the millennium.
In a column for the Sunday Post , Dalglish lauded Kyogo’s recent derby winner:
“I need to commend the winning goal from Celtic’s Kyogo. It was an outstanding strike and just reaffirmed again what a wonderful talent he is. At a transfer fee of around £4m, he is one of the transfer bargains of the millennium.
“Last Sunday showed, once again, that Celtic are the team to beat and will not give up their title lightly. They have quality players and a winning mentality. Led by captain Callum McGregor, they know what it takes to be successful.”
While Kyogo has been stellar domestically, Celtic fans eagerly anticipate his magic in the Champions League. If Celtic aims to make a significant impact, their Japanese talisman will undoubtedly be key.
