KYOGO FURUHASHI will miss the Premiership kick-off when Celtic take on Hearts at Tynecastle tomorrow night.
The £4.6million Japanese international striker has been in quarantine since agreeing the four-year deal from Vissel Kobe.
Twenty-six-year-old Furuhashi is looking forward to playing in the No.8 jersey for the Hoops, a number that has personal significance.
The prolific marksman, the leading goalscorer in the J1-League before his transfer, is expected in Scotland over the weekend.
Furuhashi said: “I am absolutely delighted to be a Celtic player and I can’t wait to join up with the manager and my team-mates and start playing for our great supporters. This move to Scotland and to Celtic is huge for me and I am so excited.
“The number 8 is a number I have always loved and one I wanted to wear.
“I know it’s a massive number for Celtic fans and was worn for so long by Scott Brown, who is one of the club’s true heroes. I am well aware of what he gave to the club.
“He is a real legend of Celtic and knowing that Scott has worn this jersey for so long with such success will be extra motivation for me to do my very best to honour and pay tribute to him as best I can.”
The lively attack-leader, speaking to the Celtic website, added: “It is also the number worn by my former team-mate, Andres Iniesta, someone I am very close to and who I am privileged to call a friend.
ON THE MOVE…Kyogo Furuhashi in action for Vissel Kobe.
“To wear the number of these two great players means a lot and it is a phenomenal honour for me. I will work hard to do it justice.
“But it won’t all be about numbers for me. This is about Celtic, about joining a brilliant football club, about hard work, getting to know my team-mates, enjoying football, working closely with the manager and giving my supporters everything I have.”
It is unfortunate Furuhashi is not available for Ange Postecoglou tomorrow in the capital because he may have made a quickfire debut.
Odsonne Edouard is toiling to score his first competitive goal of the campaign after firing blanks in two ties against FC Midtjylland while Leigh Griffiths is still struggling with the calf injury that saw him stay at home when his team-mates flew to Denmark this week.
