Yosuke Ideguchi's run of bad luck continues away from Celtic; contract situation

By John McGinley

March 14, 2023

Celtic midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi was hoping that his return to Japan sparked a revival in his playing fortunes following a difficult year at the Bhoys, but he’s been struck down by injury again.

Ideguchi arrived in Glasgow with Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda in the January 2022 transfer window and while those two stars have kicked on with Celtic, the 26-year-old has had rotten luck.

He suffered an injury away to Alloa in the Scottish Cup before his Celtic career really got going, with Ange Postecoglou’s other midfield options quickly establishing a run of form it was hard to deny sticking with, in his absence. That game against Alloa remains his only competitive start for the Bhoys.

Now he’s unfortunately out for three months after his just one start for loan club Avispa Fukuoka. The club confirmed in a statement today that he has broken his ankle and will be out for three months. He had only managed to make three appearances in total.

While the Japanese season runs all the way until November and he could be back in June, he’s again working against the odds to feature regularly in 2023. His loan deal runs until the end of the J-League campaign.

Ideguchi’s contract at the Bhoys doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, so there are no easy solutions here. We have to hope that the midfielder can stay on track and go through a smooth rehabilitation before getting some football later this year.

Having now signed Tomoki Iwata, it’s become clear the Celtic midfield is moving on without Ideguchi, but the quicker he returns and strings together some form, the quicker that the Bhoys can make sure he finds a permanent home.

At this stage, it doesn’t seem like we’ll ever find out if he can be an effective player in Scotland. Ange Postecoglou’s hit rate with signings has been remarkable so it’s only natural that one or two won’t work out in the way we expect or hope.

It’ll just be a benefit to see him back on the pitch following this blow, so all the best with your recovery Yosuke!

In other news, Celtic forward Hyeongyu Oh gets the call he was waiting on from Jurgen Klinsmann.