Former Celtic defender Hayato Inamura has opened up about his difficult six months at Parkhead, insisting he was never given a proper opportunity to prove himself and admitting he was taken aback by the demands of Scottish football.
The 23‑year‑old Japanese full‑back headed back to his homeland this week after Celtic agreed to send him on loan to FC Tokyo.
His brief Parkhead spell brought just one senior appearance which came in a start at left‑back in a 3‑0 win over Livingston under Brendan Rodgers, who had initially described Inamura as a “club signing” and and was never fully sold on the player.
Despite being named in the matchday squad again under Wilfried Nancy in December, he never made it off the bench, a rare opportunity that failed to materialise at either stop in Glasgow.
Reflecting on his time in Scotland, Inamura was frank about the challenges he faced: [SunSport]
“It was difficult in many ways. It was a tough time for me.
“There are things I can say and things I can’t say.
“But there really was a difference in football ability.
“I was confident I could reach that level if I could play in the games, but I wasn’t given the chance.
“And I had mental ups and downs.
“Daizen Maeda told me I could definitely launch my career again if I returned home to Japan and that encouraged me.”
He now has an opportunity to rebuild his career on loan in the J-League, hoping that he impresses so that his loan can be made permanent there or elsewhere.
Three managers saw him at Celtic, and none gave him a chance in the side. Rodgers was the only one to field him, but he was forced into that with a lack of options.
Keep Reading
