REO HATATE
The versatile 26-year-old joined Celtic on a four and a half year contract during the 2022 January Transfer Window.
After a man of the match debut performance in a 2–0 win against Hibernian at Celtic, Reo has since emerged as a mainstay in the heart of the Hoops midfield during his time at the club.
He opened his goalscoring account in just his second game in green and white with a wondergoal. Against Hearts he collected the ball on the halfway line, drove forward and unleashed a bullet from around 30 yards.
He followed it up with two more sensational strikes and an assist in an unforgettable 3–0 Glasgow Derby victory over Rangers at Celtic Park.
Reo would go on to make a total of 21 appearance during the 2021/22 season, scoring 4 goals in total, helping Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership league title and the League Cup.
2022/23 was a break-out season for the Japanese international which saw him included in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year, nominated for the PFA Scotland Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award, and winning the Premiership Player of the Month award for February.
During the 2024/25 season, Hatate also featured heavily in the Celtic team which won another cup double - the 12th SPFL title in 13 seasons and the Scottish Cup.
Reo joined the Bhoys from Kawasaki Frontale, having helped them win the J-League for the second successive year. During his time there he was named in the J-League Best XI of the 2021 season alongside his Celtic team-mate, Daizen Maeda.
COUNTRY BHOY
Hatate was selected to represent Japan at the 2020 Olympic Games, held in the summer of 2021 in Japan. He helped his country reach the last four of the tournament, though they lost out in the bronze medal match to Mexico.
In 2023/24, the midfielder was a mainstay of the Japanese squad, with appearances in the World Cup qualifiers and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
