Celtic returned to competitive action in style yesterday as they put Kilmarnock to the sword in a dominant 4-0 win.

Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn, and Anthony Ralston got the goals in an impressive opening weekend victory.

One of several players who particularly stood out was Japanese midfielder Hatate.

Inconsistent last term, the 26-year-old opened the scoring 17 minutes in with a fine finish which swept into the bottom left corner.

Last term, Hatate never really got going under manager Brendan Rodgers but now he has had a year to work under the manager and fully comprehend his role.

He was given the in-stadium man of the match award yesterday and after the game, his boss made some encouraging comments about him.

“I never saw the player that I hoped to see at the beginning of last season, for whatever reason”, said Rodgers (hellorayo).

“He never really got going through pre-season last year, not to what I was wanting. And then he gets injured and then it was really broken for him and he had little spells where he came into the team but not consistently.

“He knows I like him as a player and he knows what I want from him as a player, and what I’ve seen over the course of pre-season, he’s top class. He’s been absolutely brilliant since he’s come back.”

Previously, Rodgers has criticised Hatate for his lack of ball retention and general inconsistency but now, following a solid pre-season, he looks set to kick on.

The manager’s latest comments about the midfielder should encourage Celtic fans, who could be set to see the best of Hatate under Rodgers this campaign.