Celtic captain Callum McGregor has been full of praise for fellow midfielder Reo Hatate after his man of the match display in Wednesday night’s Glasgow derby.
The 24-year old hasn’t been in Glasgow for long, but he has hit the ground running since his arrival, scoring in three of his four appearances, as well as being man of the match in two of those.
Speaking to Celtic TV, McGregor was quick to credit the Japanese midfielder for not on his on the ball ability but also his work ethic, which is needed playing under Ange Postecoglou in this side.
“[Hatate’s] top drawer. Really first class.
“He’s quality on the ball; everyone can see that. But it’s then the other side of his game as well where he’s working for the team. He’s ran 80, 90 yards to stop [a Rangers] counter-attack, and that’s what this team is.
“We work just as hard without the ball as what we do when we’ve got it. And that’s the secret. That’s the key to the success.”
As McGregor mentions, it wasn’t just what he did on the ball which impressed the Celtic support but also the work put in to chase down every ball and win it back as soon as possible.
The work ethic of the majority of the players in this squad is what makes the side special, putting in the hard yards this campaign, and they will continue to do so for the rest of the second half of the campaign.
It is a scary thought for the rest of the league that Ange doesn’t even think Hatate is at his optimal fitness just yet, with even more to come from the talented midfielder.
