Reo Hatate names the Celtic moment where he felt ‘accepted’ by his teammates

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Reo Hatate is playing some of his best football at Celtic right now.

That was proven during Celtic’s win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League, where the midfielder produced some out-of-your-seat moments and also got on the scoresheet.

Hatate is another example of how well Celtic’s recruitment has done over the years because he was a player purchased during the Ange Postecoglou era.

One of three Japanese stars who have become legends at Parkhead, the 26-year-old joined the club in 2022 and hasn’t looked back since.

As Nicolas Kuhn has found, it’s never easy joining the pressure cooker of Celtic in January and then trying to hit the ground running.

But Hatate did just that, as he explained.

Reo Hatate says Hearts goal was turning point with Celtic teammates

Hatate career in Celtic colours started with a bang, including scoring against Hearts at Tynecastle in just his second game.

Even though it was still very early days in his career in Glasgow, he was already making a name for himself and making himself known.

The Japan international admitted that strike against Hearts was the moment where he felt ‘accepted’ by his teammates, as he told Celtic’s official YouTube channel.

“Every goal has a story and they all mean a lot to me,” said Hatate. “But if I had to pick, my first goal for Celtic was especially memorable.

“It came during my second match against Hearts. I believe it was a long-range shot. Scoring that goal was pivotal for me. It gave me a sense of calm and acceptance from my teammates, which made me feel truly integrated into the team.

“It was a very important goal for me playing football in this team.”

Hatate’s Celtic career so far

The all-action midfielder recently raised his bat and hit 100 appearances in Celtic colours.

Fans are hoping that there are another 100 to come because if he can do that, then everyone is in for another entertaining ride.

Tranfermarkt shows that Hatate has 40 goal contributions in 105 matches, but it really doesn’t tell the full story of how much of an impact and difference he makes when he is on form.