Celtic have four players raring to go at the 2024 Asian Cup. It is a tournament that the Hoops faithful will be keeping a keen eye on in the absence of club football.
The likes of Yang and Oh are due to represent South Korea whilst Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate are set to play for their nation, Japan. The latter has recently been speaking about his aims for the tournament.
Indeed, Hatate was asked about how motivated he and his teammates were after a training session. He said (TV Asahi Soccer): “We are here to be the champion in the Asian Cup, so I’ll demonstrate my strengths as much as possible to win.”
Although Japan remain one of the tournament’s favourites, this is a bold statement from Hatate. He seems as motivated as ever to succeed for his nation.
At 26 years of age, he has just five caps for Japan. This month and next, the former Kawasaki Frontale man will aim to build upon those as Hajime Moriyasu looks to lead his side to Asian Cup glory for what would only be the fifth time in their history.
The Samurai Blue kick their campaign off this Sunday against Vietnam at 11.30 am UK time. Hatate and Co are fully expected to make it out of their group and kickstart a significant run in the knockout stages of the tournament.
