Brendan Rodgers has admitted he may need to revise his plans for Hayato Inamura after the Japanese defender impressed on his first outing for Celtic in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Cork City.

Signed from Albirex Niigata for £250,000 last weekend, the 23-year-old was billed as a developmental signing and expected to be loaned out. But after just one start at left-back, Inamura is already turning heads at Lennoxtown.

From the opening whistle in Cork, Inamura looked anything but tentative. Calm on the ball and confident going forward, he showed a sharpness that belied his limited senior experience. The defender only made his J-League debut in April 2024 after coming through university football in Japan.

Rodgers had initially been open about the club’s expectation that Inamura might require a spell away from Celtic to adjust to the demands of top-level football. But speaking after the game, the manager admitted the player’s performances in training and against Cork have forced a rethink.

“100 per cent. I’m not fixed on it,” Rodgers told The Sun. “The plan was to bring him in, see how he does pre-season, thinking that he may need to get out and play.

“But I always judge players on the pre-season, on how they look and are they going to be capable. He’s certainly in the few days training, he’s shown he’s so smooth with the ball. Not only that, he plays forward.

“I’ve got to say, he surprised me. In these first days training, he’s so competent with the ball. He’s a good size. His comfort on the ball, his willingness to attack is really good. So we’ll see how he looks over the remaining games.”

It’s clear Rodgers values pre-season as a proving ground for those on the fringes and Inamura has taken his opportunity early. With Celtic still looking to strengthen defensively, particularly on the left side, the Japanese newcomer may now remain in Glasgow and compete for a place, rather than head out on loan as originally planned.