I spotted Celtic pass on for Kyogo and you can bet your last coin Reo Hatate would have too – Chris Sutton

Reo Hatate wasn’t in favour at the start. Now he could well be golden boy at the end.

Hatate and Callum McGregor are the two best midfielders in Scotland. If Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers can have them both back fit and firing for the run-in, it’ll be a monumental boost for the defending champions at a perfect time. Let’s face it, Hatate has endured a horrendous season. He was my Player of the Year last term with his fabulous talent and ability to make things happen with his excellence.

It puzzled me at the beginning of the season when Rodgers left him on the sidelines in favour of David Turnbull. As I said at the time, it had to be an issue with something as regards fitness or his mindset because, with the greatest of respect, there is no way on earth that Turnbull should have been in any starting line-up ahead of the Japanese when the Premiership kicked off based purely on ability.

It went downhill from there with that injury on the second weekend of the season at Aberdeen claiming him for another lengthy spell. I stand by the fact that Celtic played their best stuff of the season during the little run in October when Hatate got back to full speed.

Rodgers had talks with him which seemed to work. He was outstanding against Kilmarnock at home and Hearts away and the performances of the team matched it. He lifted the levels, yet was slammed back onto the sidelines with another injury against Atletico Madrid and we’re barely seen him since.

Hatate’s injury at the Asian Cup was just another headache in a long line of them for Celtic this season and, of course, they will have to be careful with him. But that midweek bounce-game appearance is huge as I’ve no doubt his absence has been a big factor in the inconsistency of the