Daily Record adds made up ‘transfer murmurs’ to Reo Hatate’s reflections

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The Celtic Star

·18. Juni 2025

Daily Record adds made up ‘transfer murmurs’ to Reo Hatate’s reflections

Both the latest Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate quotes coming out of Japan are encouraging, although perhaps not if you read the Daily Record’s take on the latter, with just about every quote from the player surrounded by transfer speculation and posting towards Reo heading off to Italy in the summer.

Strip out the quotes however then trying to see that picture is rather difficult. Have a go below. Here’s what Reo Hatate is quoted as saying…

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REO’S REFLECTIONS ON SEASON 2024/25

Daizen Maeda and teammate Reo Hatate are pictured with the Scottish Premiership trophy after the season’s final match against St. Mirren, on May 17, 2025. Photo IMAGO (The Celtic Star)

“The moment we won the title, I felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment unlike anything I had ever felt before,” Reo said. “In the previous season, I was injured repeatedly and played only 16 league games. This year, I was able to play in many more and contribute. “I could also feel my growth as a player, defensively and in attack. I feel I have performed better than ever last season since joining Celtic. That is why I felt like I did when we won the league. “However, I also remember some golden words from Zico that former player Atsuto Uchida once said. They were, ‘When you retire as a player, all that remains is the number of titles you have won’. “Hearing that, I’m proud to have added another league title to my career this season. Winning cups and leagues is a cumulative effort. We play in a team and environment that allows us to aim for the title and we achieved it. “But after a while, people forget how well a player performed in that season and what kind of level they showed. Numbers of goals and assists are there, but the record of winning a title will remain forever. “I feel like my experience in the Champions League has helped me grow. When playing against stronger teams, I’ve had many opportunities to play side-by-side with the captain Callum McGregor, our main defensive midfielder. By doing that, I began to observe the opponent’s positioning more. “With high pressing becoming mainstream worldwide, when we build up from a low position, the player with the ball is generally free. Someone will come to press that free player. At that time, I have become aware of who is coming to press and where there is an opening. “As a result, I was able to see who was where and how they would move to see where the space would open up. This was not only true for deep positions, but also for higher positions in the opponent’s half, which broadened my field of vision and options. During the attacking process, I can play as a No 6 but in front of goal I can play as a No 10. “I feel I am able to judge when I should shoot or pass better than before, and this resulted in more goals and assists. I have also become more aware of when players are coming to press and where openings can be.” Reo Hatate

Reo Hatate is pictured with the Scottish Premiership trophy after the season s final match against St. Mirren on May 17, 2025. Photo IMAGO

Did you spot any transfesr hint in Reo’s quotes?

There is zero that even hints at a move from Celtic or a desire to move to a bigger league, play in Italy or elsewhere. Instead it’s a player who last season, until near the end at least, put his injury woes behind him and instead played over 50 games, becoming a first pick starter for Brendan Rodgers who the previous summer took some time to work on the Japanese midfielders training regimes – at Lennoxtown and away from the club – in order to resolve his recurring injury problems.

So all is well with Reo Hatate, who will be a huge player for Celtic next season. Had he been fit for the Scottish Cup final I would not be alone in thinking we’d have won that to complete the treble as without him in the team we lacked creativity in the middle of the park. The good thing about that is it was pretty obvious to everyone watching Celtic struggle to breakdown that low Aberdeen block and Brendan Rodgers will be well aware of the importance of Hatate to his team going forward.

Reo Hatate looks angry. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Indeed in his post match media conference at Hampden after the defeat in the penalty shoot-out, Rodgers immediately pointed to the absence of Reo Hatate as a factor in the result.

Last summer Matt O’Riley was getting all the attention

This time last year Reo Hatate wasn’t really quoted in all the transfer rumours that inevitably do the rounds. Matt O’Riley was getting the attention after an outstanding season while Reo spent most of the campaign in the treatment room. It’s Reo’s turn to be our top midfielder and yes, if any bid warrants serious consideration from Celtic, that’s what it will get.

Reo Hatate is visibly upset Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Celtic players and coaching staff, as well as Brendan Rodgers will this pre-season discuss the impact that the new format Champions League campaign had on our season. After impressively navigating the three-game week for basically six months, Celtic seemed to fall off a cliff so to speak after the Champions League campaign ended in heartache in Munich.

Celtic’s post-Champions League dip needs to be considered

That’s a factor that wasn’t really considered as Brendan guided us through that busy period brilliantly. Following the narrow defeat to Bayern Munich, we failed to beat theRangers, even losing to them at Celtic Park, and also lost the Scottish Cup Final. When the game at McDiarmid Park became extra-important due to results elsewhere – a Celtic top versus bottom win would have set Celtic Park up for a title party against Kilmarnock but the performances was lacklustre and the result hugely frustrating for the 60,000 supporters who would have had a rare chance to see a title won at Paradise.

Reo Hatate with the Premier Sports Cup after Celtic’s victory over theRangers on 15 December 2024 at Hampden Park. Photo Kenny Ramsay

The League Cup had been won in a penalty shoot-out against theRangers back in December and the league was never really in doubt thanks to Celtic’s early and mid-season relentlessness. Even on Trophy Day, we needed a fairytale last minute goal from James Forrest to grab a point from the afternoon.

So in that context losing the Sottish Cup final wasn’t much of a surprise even if that stats showed that Celtic went into the game with a 93% chance of winning.

So that post Champions League period – at the business end of the season – has got to be looked at and one of the factors could be looking at restricting the number of games to around 40 maximum for our key stars. To make that happen additional quality signings will be needed and that could be the reason why Celtic seem to be busy very early in the window.

Champions League qualifier is crucial

That’s assuming we make it through to the Champions League group stage, with that all important play-off to come at the end of August.

4th December 2024; Pittodrie, Aberdeen, ; Scottish Premiership , Aberdeen versus Celtic; Reo Hatate of Celtic shoots and scores in the 78th minute to make it 1-0 to Celtic .Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Reo Hatate is now a key player for Celtic, one we need in the team to be at our very best. He has to stay and like Daizen, Calmac, CCV, Alistair Johnston and KT he needs to be used for key games and rest on other occasions. The key players should logically be up there as the top earners and that’s something that the Celtic Board need to be mindful of too.