Andy Halliday believes that Celtic fans could come to regret their assessment of one key talent, claiming that ‘You won’t realise what you had until he’s gone’.
Celtic have had many star players down the years at Celtic Park, but some of them can often divide opinion.
Greg Taylor is one example of those but in this instance, Halliday name-checked Reo Hatate as the man in question.
The 27-year-old is exceptional on his day but there’s a perception that we don’t see it enough.
Hatate was brilliant against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final but only a couple weeks earlier, he looked like a passenger in the league meeting between the two.
Some have even said that they wouldn’t miss him if he were to be sold in the summer, but Halliday made an interesting counter point.
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Andy Halliday thinks Reo Hatate needs more love from Celtic fans
Speaking on the Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, the Motherwell man discussed who his player of the week was.
Of course, it was Hatate, who he named ‘the best midfielder in the league’.
“He’s so undervalued and so underappreciated from Celtic fans to be honest with you,” Halliday continued.
“He’s one of the players that I don’t think they’ll appreciate until he’s gone and I thought he was outstanding at the weekend.
“I thought he was so involved in everything good that Celtic did and he leaves the pitch with three assists.
“The only thing that his performance was missing and that he would probably have deserved as well was a goal.”
Reo Hatate could be part of summer reshuffle
Every year, the same question rolls round: ‘Will Hatate leave in the summer?’
Brendan Rodgers wants to revamp the squad and that may mean some move on to make way for new stars to come.
The centre of midfield, however, is one of the few positions well-stocked. Maybe one of the bit-part players will leave but in terms of options, the Bhoys have plenty of talent.
If there is interest, Celtic may cash in while his value is still hight but in an ideal world, who wouldn’t want to keep Hatate?
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