There was a time when Reo Hatate was up there in terms of midfielders I’ve enjoyed watching over the years in a Celtic jersey.
Under Ange Postecoglou, he burst onto the scene with swagger, goals, and a composure that made Scottish football look simple. He scored on his derby debut, dictated tempo in Europe, and carried himself like a player destined for a bigger stage.
That version of Hatate feels distant right now. It pains me to say! The 3-0 Glasgow Derby win at Celtic park under Ange will be forever etched in my memory. Reo took charge that night and sent Rangers, who were then COVID champions, packing.
In recent months, the Japanese international has found himself on the receiving end of serious criticism from sections of the support. Words like “half-hearted” and “uninterested” have been thrown around. Some fans believe he has mentally checked out. Others want him dropped altogether in favour of fresh legs.
The frustration has been fuelled by inconsistent performances. But to frame this purely as a question of effort feels too simplistic.
Hatate does not look like a player who is not trying. He looks like a player struggling.
The sharpness, the killer final ball, they have not been there consistently. His passing, once so effective, has at times left the team exposed. There was a time when if he started on the bench for Celtic, it would be a notable omission, right now, it feels par for the course.
The uncomfortable truth is that Celtic and Reo Hatate should have parted ways before now.
When Hatate’s stock was at its highest, when he was lighting up games scouts were circling, there was a time to maximise his value. Better forward planning in recruitment might have allowed the club to cash in at peak value and reinvest accordingly. You want to cash in on a player when fans still see it as sore to lose a player.
That opportunity has passed.
This is not to say Hatate cannot still produce. He absolutely can. He has the quality to grab a goal from nowhere or dictate any given match. But those moments feel less predictable now, more sporadic than defining.
For Celtic, the bigger issue is squad evolution. If Hatate is no longer the dynamic force he once was, then the responsibility falls on recruitment to either re-energise the midfield or create genuine competition. Hopefully, in the short term Oxlade-Chamberlain can offer genuine compeittion if he can stay fit.
For me, Reo will likely move on this summer, as will a number of Celtic players who have been there for a long time. We need players with fire in their belly, ready to win and give this side energy. Reo needs some new scenery to kick on.
If he gets chosen for World Cup duty with Japan and manages to score a goal or two, it could really up his value before that exit takes place. His current Celtic contract runs ultil 2028, so the Hoops are in the driving seat.
