REO HATATE celebrates his 28th birthday today with his career at the crossroads.
I think it would be fair to say Celtic’s Japanese playmaker has been more Reo Bland than Reo Grand in recent times.
Hatate’s lack of consistency has led to him being overlooked for a place in the starting line-up in three of Martin O’Neill’s four games in interim charge.
His three substitute appearances against Falkirk (4-0), Rangers (3-1) and FC Midtjylland (1-3) would barely add up to an hour of action before he got the nod to play the entire 90 minutes in the 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock before the international break.
Hatate comes across as a bright and attentive individual. He won’t need me to tell him he has absolutely no chance of fulfilling his greatest dream of playing for Japan in the World Cup Finals next summer if he cannot be guaranteed a first-team place at the champions.
OH NO, REO…the Celtic midfielder cuts a figure of frustration.
In truth, the midfielder does not deserve to be an automatic first-team choice if you are simply judging him on his performances and contributions this season.
Last term, he scored 11 goals in 43 appearances, but rarely sparkled as we know he can.
The previous campaign was practically decimated by calf and hamstring injuries and he started a mere 17 of the team’s 50 games. Remarkably, he completed only TWO of his overall 21 outings and collected just three goals, one a penalty-kick.
The warning lights are flashing for Hatate and, unless there is a dramatic improvement in overall form, he will not be looking out his passport for the USA, Canada and Mexico in June.
By the way, I say this as an enormous admirer of the middle-of-the-park operator. He took the place by storm when he deservedly lifted the Man of the Match award in his debut in January 2022 in a 2-0 win over Hibs at Parkhead.
And he continued in a similar trend the following month when he claimed a double as Ange Postecoglou’s side rag-dolled Rangers 3-0 at Parkhead to go top of the Premiership for the first time in 18 months and remained in pole position until the conclusion of an exciting crusade to pick up the club’s tenth title in 11 years.
Alas, Hatate is a shadow of the player we all anticipated he could be.
He is under contract until June 2028, but it’s clear to see he has lost that initial spring in his step.
UP, UP AND AWAY…Reo Hatate wins an aerial duel with Connor Barron during the dismal scoreless stalemate at Ibrox this season.
In recent years, Hatate has been short of command performances. Earlier, he would have been one of the first names on the team sheets of Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.
Maybe their close-up focus of the player’s contributions had become slightly blurred. Looking on from afar, O’Neill may have been afforded a clearer vision.
The charismatic Irishman may come across as a folksy-type of self-deprecating character, but you better believe there is a flytrap mind at work inside that 73-year-old cranium.
He didn’t hesitate in leaving Hatate on the substitutes’ bench when he answered the call over three weeks ago.
What’s next for the player? He must realise, at the ripe old age of 28, this is likely to be his chance of playing in the World Cup Finals.
The answer lies at his feet. Quite literally.
ALEX GORDON
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