REO HATATE arrived at Celtic with Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda, with Kyogo already at the club.
It was wrongly assumed that the four players would hang around with each other, especially off the pitch. However, it quickly became apparent that the four players were not best mates.
They all had their own group that they’d hang about with but still have a relationship with each other.
The unity amongst the squad this season has been on a whole new level. The players have each other’s backs and are pals off the park. The dressing room seems to have a really positive atmosphere.
Hatate was asked on Japanese TV what his relationship with his teammates from his country is like, as translated by @twoflagsmusic on Twitter, the Celtic midfielder replied;
“Daizen is the same age as me. Yosuke is 1 year older. Kyogo is 3~4 years older. They’ve been very helpful.
“It’s not good to have other Japanese players in your team, but I was able to talk to them & speak my mind when I was suffering.
“But it’s difficult because if I’m too close to the Japanese players, it’s awkward for other players.
“I eat with other Japanese players but when I’m in the gym I speak to others. It’s difficult to keep the balance, but I’m very thankful to them.
“Yeah [I get on with the Japanese players really well], especially Daizen as we’re the same age, we talk alot. We’re in the same locker room as well. Locker rooms are all seperated, I share the same locker room as him so we spend a lot of time together.”
It’s great to have players of the same nationality, mainly because they come from another continent. It allows the players to have something from the same culture to settle in with. Kyogo would’ve been able to share his experience which would’ve helped the January arrivals.
