REO HATATE has only played forty-five minutes of football for his country in a dead-rubber match against Vietnam, but he’s still dreaming of a spot in the squad for the World Cup.
He’s been impressive with Celtic at times, which earned his call-up in March and led to his debut with the senior squad. With the chance to impress even more at a higher level, he’s certainly in the mix to be selected by Hajime Moriyasu in November.
Speaking about the prospect of a World Cup call-up, Reo said; [Daily Record]
“It would be a great honour if I could play for Japan at the World Cup. It’s the biggest stage in international football and, of course, once you play for your country once it becomes your ambition.
“But for me, the most important thing right now is to play very well for Celtic. To have a chance of playing at the World Cup, I have to give absolutely everything I can for my club in the next few months.
“If I’m not playing well there it will be difficult for the national coach to select me. But, of course, I hope to make the squad.
“Playing in the Champions League can help me do that as it’s the biggest stage in club football. Every game is watched all over the world. It’s been a big dream for me since I was a kid. The opportunity to play in it is one of the reasons I came to Celtic.”
Hatate’s Celtic Chance
Hatate is fresh and ready to go, just back from a minor injury. He’s come back at the right time; the Hoops have a hectic month ahead of them, with a Glasgow Derby to play and start their Champions League journey.
There’s no doubting Hatate’s quality; he just needs to show it more consistently. He’ll have a spot in the midfield, with David Turnbull failing to take his chance to impress. The Japanese midfielder will likely share the middle of the Park with Matt O’Riley and Callum McGregor.
