Kyogo Furuhashi tells Celtic fans if he regrets transfer to Rennes after Birmingham City move

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The grass isn’t always greener when you leave a club the size of Celtic.

Kyogo Furuhashi has found that out the hard way, as the Celtic hero is back on British soil after joining Birmingham City in the English Championship.

It’s crazy to think that, only six months ago, Kyogo was preparing for Champions League matches, and now he will soon be playing in England’s second tier.

Not only was Kyogo’s January exit a surprise, because it was midway through the campaign, but Brendan Rodgers was pushing for a domestic Treble.

But Kyogo decided to join Rennes, a team that was battling relegation in France, and it’s a move that just simply didn’t pay off for the Japan star.

• READ MORE: All eight Japanese players to play for Celtic as Hayato Inamura closes in on move

Kyogo Furuhashi’s honest thoughts on leaving Celtic for Rennes

What didn’t aid Kyogo’s cause is the fact that, as soon as he signed for Rennes, they sacked their manager, Jorge Sampaoli, and replaced him with Habib Beye.

That proved to be a nightmare for the 30-year-old, who was lucky at times to be coming off the bench because he was an unused substitute on many occasions or not in the matchday squad.

So, does Kyogo regret that move, because it is quite a big fall from grace?

After signing for Birmingham, the Treble-winner at Celtic was asked that question, and he remained firm with his response.

Kyogo is asked: ‘You made the move to Rennes in January, across in France, is it fair to say that you didn’t get the opportunity to show what you are capable of?’

Kyogo responded: “It was a difficult time for me. But I don’t have regrets going there. I have gained some experience, so I would like to use that here (at Birmingham).”

Kyogo in the English Premier League?

The Celtic Park faithful will remember that Kyogo was linked with Manchester City not so long ago, as a move to England’s top-flight didn’t materialise.

But if Kyogo works his magic, then he could be playing Premier League football pretty soon.

Birmingham have spent a lot of money, and are continuing to do so, including ‘more than £15 million’ on striker Jay Stansfield when they were in League One, as reported by Sky Sports.

That’s more than what Celtic paid for Arne Engels after his £11 million transfer last summer, so it just goes to show how serious the Midlands club are about getting into England’s top flight.