Peter Grant has defended a current Celtic midfielder who has been under scrutiny for quite some time.
Grant knows better than most how quickly the mood can turn when things are not going well. The former Celtic midfielder experienced both sides of it during his own time at Parkhead.
Reo Hatate has felt the sharp end of that criticism this season.
Some supporters have questioned his body language and whether his focus remains fully on Celtic amid persistent talk about a move away from Glasgow.
The 28-year-old has not always hit the levels expected of him, but there have been recent reminders of his quality.
A week later, back at the same ground, he stepped up in the pressure of a penalty shootout and calmly converted as Celtic came through a tense cup tie.
It was not a perfect performance from the team. Celtic struggled to control large spells of the match, but Hatate’s energy stood out.
Despite that, the criticism has not gone away. Some have suggested that with speculation around his future, Hatate’s heart is no longer fully in it.
Grant does not buy that argument. He said (RecordSport):
“His quality has never been in question. Yes, he’s had his poor games by giving the ball away. But people perceive it’s his body language and he doesn’t want to be there. But if you watch all his games, that’s the way he’s always played.
“Yes, I did think he’d lost a lot of energy, but I’d have said that about a lot of the players. He’s a top quality player, I’d never ever go down that line that people say ‘he’s chucked it’. I think you lose form for sure, but you’re always representing yourself.
“Even if you were thinking about leaving, you’ve still got to perform. So I don’t like that getting thrown at players because I don’t believe it’s true It’s just about his perception more than what his performances have been.
“If you think you’re able to play at the highest level, what you’ve got to do then is perform. When do the stars shine? When it’s dark. It’s as simple as that.”
There is little doubt Celtic will see movement in the squad this summer.
Hatate has often been mentioned as one of the players who could attract interest, particularly if he finishes the season strongly.
For now, though, Celtic have more immediate concerns.
Grant believes it cannot fall on one player to carry the load.
“We’re going to need more than Reo Hatate, we’re needing everybody to go and get performances in. Cream always comes to the top and that will happen. But Celtic have got very good players who have not performed at the levels they’ve shown, that’s the difference for me.”
Hatate is not beyond criticism. His form has dipped too often this season.
But football has a habit of turning quickly.
If the midfielder is rediscovering his sharpness now, Celtic will welcome it. And if he keeps producing moments like the ones at Ibrox, the conversation around him will change just as fast.
