Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has admitted he was frustrated not to play for Japan in the most recent international break.
Despite being called up by Hajime Moriyasu for matches against China and Bahrain earlier in the month, Hatate was left out of the matchday squads for both games.
Indeed, the 26-year-old was forced to watch on from the sidelines as his nation won 7-0 and 5-0 respectively.
The midfielder recently made a brutal self-confession about how his ability prevented him from being picked to play by Moriyasu, but he has since admitted he was annoyed not to feature and that he will work hard at Celtic to improve.
“I was disappointed, but the other players were also disappointed in their own way,” he said (webSportiva).
“Some players were disappointed because they had little playing time, and some were disappointed because they were on the team but didn’t get a chance to play. There were also players who, like me, were not on the team and were biting their lip. Each of them was feeling disappointed in their own way.
“I don’t think that my participation in the Japan national team activities was a waste of time. I believe that there were many things I would not have experienced or learned if I hadn’t been there, and that it was a positive experience for me.
“Having experienced the AFC Asian Cup 2024 as a member of the Japanese national team, I feel even more determined to continue in the Japanese national team environment.
“I want to continue to pursue the goals and assists I’ve been working on at Celtic, as well as the power I have in front of the goal, so that I can take to the pitch again as a Japan national team player.”
Hatate was criticised for his Celtic performance against Hearts last weekend, but he bounced back and caught the eye in the UEFA Champions League midweek.
The midfielder made several positive actions against Slovan Bratislava and, in the second half, set up his fellow countryman Daizen Maeda with a lovely through ball that followed a sublime piece of trickery.
Due to injury and other issues, Hatate has perhaps not reached his desired heights under Brendan Rodgers, but after a positive end to last season and a relatively consistent start to the new one, he will look to truly kick on.
