Kyogo makes Rangers semi final prediction as Celtic hero looks to embrace global appeal amid Treble hunt

The global reach of brand Celtic had already been felt by Kyogo Furuhashi long before he arrived in Glasgow.

But he admits it’s a grand old team to play for now he knows the history after spending the last two years as a student of the club. A mutual affection between player and fans has been forged during a goal-laden spell in Scotland. The striker revealed he’s immersed himself in Hoops folklore and is aiming to spread the message back home in the Far East.

He said: “I don’t know if more Japanese people know about the club now we are all here. But I am happy to contribute to the reputation of the club and am looking forward to helping it expand more. Shunsuke Nakamura played here before, so before I came here I knew about the club. All the achievements are recognised worldwide but after joining the club I really started to get to know the history. I was able to know and understand a lot more about Celtic.

“I started to realise the heritage, from the children to older people who have supported the club all their lives. Once I experienced this I started to feel how big the club is.

“When I tell people I play for Celtic everyone recognises the name everywhere, they know the club, the history, all kinds of stuff I hear every day. I have enjoyed every day of my stay here.”

Kyogo has made the net bulge on 29 occasions in all competitions this season. His next challenge is a Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers on Sunday that will be another huge step in Celtic’s quest to make it a Treble-winning campaign.

Ange Postecoglou's side are aiming for only the eighth clean sweep of domestic trophies in the club’s history and Kyogo’s well aware of the magnitude of the Hampden clash.

He said: “The Treble is what everyone wants at