Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has revealed the huge influence which Celtic coach Gavin Strachan has had on him since his arrival at the club last season.
Hatate very quickly became a fans favourite after he scored two pivotal goals against Rangers last February to send Celtic to the top of the league table where they have remained ever since.
As well as being a major influence in the team from midfield, he also had to fill in at right-back for the league leaders on Christmas Eve against St Johnstone but was only happy to do so.
For someone who is 25-years-old, he didn’t play a great deal of football in Japan meaning that he is still continuing to develop and get better which can only be exciting for the future.
Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v St Johnstone – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – December 24, 2022 Celtic’s Reo Hatate celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
The environment around the club at the moment is absolutely terrific and some players have previously spoke about the influence coaches have had on their individual game as forwards such as Jota and James Forrest have credited Harry Kewell for the work he has done.
It was no different when Hatate was speaking about how he could take his game to another level and singled out Hoops coach Gavin Strachan as having a major influence on his game.
“Seeing a friend like Kaoru Mitoma show his strong individual skills at the World Cup with Japan made me reconsider my own strengths and what I need to improve,” said Reo Hatate in his Sportiva diary translated by the [scottish sun].
“I knew the answer myself, but I knocked on the door of the manager at Celtic just to get confirmation.
“In order to grow further, I went in there to listen to the challenges.
“When I visited the room, he said, ‘What you need to improve further is your quality in the attacking third’.
“His words gave me confidence because I had been looking at the issue myself.
“At a press conference after the game, the manager told how I visit our coach after every game to review the video.
“Instead of revealing his own advice, he praised my efforts and the coach’s work.
“Such consideration and trust in the situation is where I can respect him as a manager and as a person.
“No matter where your position is, if you widen your range of play, you can appear in front of the goal.
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
“And by pursuing quality in the attacking third more, you can then get results.
“Now I’m thinking that it will become a weapon, a feature, and a strong part of my game.”
