Kyogo delights Celtic supporters yet again with Europa League gesture

By Euan Davidson

October 1, 2021

Celtic star Kyogo couldn’t hit the back of the net last night, but he continues to be a hit with supporters.

Exciting on the pitch, he’s also won the hearts of fans off it. Most recently, his fist-bumps with teammates before kick-off against Raith Rovers won him some much-deserved applause.

Equally, he’s dead happy to communicate with fans on Twitter, and is rewarded with appreciation from the Hoops faithful.

And last night, he added to his portfolio by clearing away some little on the sidelines as he came off against Bayer Leverkusen.

In a clip shared by Twitter user Julie Clark, the Japan striker can be seen removing rubbish on his way to the bench. It’s garnered thousands of likes and retweets online, and it’s little wonder why.

Japanese football fans have a reputation of tidying up after themselves in football stadia.

They won the adoration of football fans worldwide in 2018, after beating Colombia 2-1 in the World Cup [BBC].

According to The Culture Trip, this is a common virtue in Japan, and when supporters head overseas for matches:

On the whole, Japanese cities have no problems with graffiti, and littering isn’t considered a problem as much as it is in other big cities in Asia. Residents are reminded at all times about the importance of keeping one’s environment clean and tidy – hygiene is espoused as a virtue.

“Overseas visitors to Japan will notice the lack of street bins in towns and cities. For the Japanese, this is nothing new, the idea being that you take your garbage home with you to dispose of there.”

Kyogo brings utter class to Celtic, and supporters appreciate him

Fine, he didn’t take his chances on the pitch last night. But strikers will be afforded that bit more leeway if they bring positives apart from scoring. Kyogo absolutely does that, opening up space for players around him, and he’s hardly shy in providing assists either.

Meanwhile, his infectious attitude and enthusiasm for Celtic means that he’s immediately become a hit with supporters. As admirable as this gesture is, it’s a fantastic cultural aspect of Japanese living that we could probably learn from.

Again, according to The Culture Trip:

“This idea of having respect for one’s environment is something that is instilled in the Japanese from an early age. Children are encouraged to clean their own schools, not as a means of making use of available child labour but to teach them life skills, environmental awareness and respect for others.”

It shows respect for the club, respect for the ground, and respect for his teammates.

Albeit, Celtic were beaten soundly last night. It’ll be a very quickly forgotten game.

But if Kyogo doesn’t put a smile on your face, I’m not sure what to tell you.

Read more: Sky Sports confirm unusual Premiership kick-off schedule for Celtic