CELTIC dynamo Reo Hatate celebrates his 25th birthday today – and has received a special message from the J-League to mark the occasion.
The Hoops fans’ favourite left Japan at the turn of the year to join the Ange Postecoglou revolution.
Hatate quit champions Kawasaki Frontale and arrived at Parkhead following a triple swoop on the Land of the Rising Son along with Daizen Maeda, from Yokohama F Marinos, and Yosuke Ideguchi, from Gamba Osaka.
Striker Kyogo Furuhashi had been the frontrunner after agreeing a £4.6million switch from Vissel Kobe in July.
BIRTHDAY BHOY…Reo Hatate is remembered by the J-League on the day he turns 25.
Hatate may have left the nation’s top flight to move to Scotland, but he has not been forgotten by the J-League.
The country’s top-flight division issued a tweet displaying one of Hatate’s goals for his former club as they wished him a special day.
And, of course, the player made an instant impression at Parkhead with a Man-of-the-Match performance in the 2-0 win over Hibs at Parkhead when the league restarted on January 17.
However, he saved his best for the derby encounter the following month when he netted two sublime strikes and set up the third for Liel Abada in the 3-0 romp over Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s stunned Ibrox visitors in the east end of Glasgow to go top of the Premiership for the first time in 18 months.
That’s where Celtic remained all the way to Flag Day on May 14 and the 6-0 victory over Motherwell in Paradise as the curtain came down on a phenomenal campaign.
CQN and our vast army of readers – and Celtic fans and true football supporters everywhere – would like to join the J-League in wishing Reo Hatate a Happy Hoopy Birthday.
🎂 Happy birthday, Reo Hatate! 🥳
🇯🇵🍀 The Celtic star turns 25 today and we're thinking about his long-range blast from his time at Kawasaki Frontale! 👀🐬
© J.LEAGUE – All Rights Reserved #JLEAGUE pic.twitter.com/QIeb90p6CN— J.LEAGUE Official EN (@J_League_En) November 21, 2022
