REO HATATE has played a mere 17 minutes of Celtic’s last four games.
The Japanese midfielder’s last start was in the 2-0 loss to Dundee United at Tannadice over a month ago.
Hatate was hooked in the 75th minute to make way for James Forrest in the match Martin O’Neill rates as the most disappointing of the season.
The 28-year-old performer has remained on the substitutes’ bench since that afternoon apart from his 73rd minute appearance when he replaced matchwinner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the champions’ 1-0 league win over St Mirren at Parkhead on April 11.
NOW YOU SEE ME…Reo Hatate skips away from a challenge by Dundee United’s Will Ferry in the 2-0 loss at Tannadice on March 22 – the Japanese star’s last start for the Hoops.
It was interesting to note that it was the former Arsenal, Liverpool and England star to whom O’Neill turned when he took off skipper Callum McGregor in the 78th minute of the crucial 3-1 home victory over Falkirk at the weekend.
This season hasn’t quite been a write-off for Hatate, but it certainly hasn’t gone according to plan.
In the summer, he admitted his target was to get into the Japanese squad for the World Cup Finals in USA, Canada and Mexico which kicks off in June.
That now appears to be an impossible task for a player who is struggling to get a place in the Hoops team with four vital league games to play – continuing against Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday – and a Scottish Cup Final against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at Hampden on May 23 when the curtain comes down on a turbulent campaign.
O’Neill, though, hopes the gifted ball artiste responds to the challenge for a first-team place in the run-in.
HOLD ON…Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is hampered as he tries to make progress in the 2-1 win over Dundee at Dens Park earlier this month.
The interim boss, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “Well, Reo’s is a fine footballer. I think two seasons ago he was one of the best in Scotland.
“Midfield players tend to go through these little periods where you can’t do anything wrong.
“Then you make three or four mistakes in a match in relatively quick succession and you lose a bit of confidence.
“But he’ll be around. You’re hoping that the competition for places with Arne Engels coming back now from injury.
“You’ve got Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain trying to get up to speed all the time and making an impact. Even if he never kicked another ball for us, he’s won two matches for us by scoring the goals.”
The gauntlet has now been thrown to Hatate who still has two years of his Celtic contract to run.
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