Opinion: Celtic star involved in three derby goals has point to prove

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has had a good season for the Hoops overall since joining the club in January.

He has made an impact in particular against, playing a role in three goals against the Ibrox side. He scored twice in the 3-0 win at Celtic Park in February, and his shot being saved led to Tom Rogic’s goal in the 2-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox earlier this month.

However, he didn’t have the best of games in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to the Ibrox side, as he seemed to tire and Rangers got the better of the midfield.

Therefore, the 24-year-old has a point to prove in the upcoming derby against Rangers at Celtic Park on Sunday. He will want to show that the performance in the semi-final was an aberration, and that the real Hatate is the one that scored twice in the last league meeting between the sides at Celtic Park.

Whilst fellow January midfield arrival Yosuke Ideguchi has failed to hold down a first-team place at Celtic Park, the same can’t be said of Hatate, who has been a mainstay of the Celtic side over the last few months, making 18 appearances.

What should be remembered when discussing Hatate’s performances though is that he has played a lot of football in Japan for Kawasaki Frontale in 2021, making 38 appearances, so he hasn’t had much of a break over the last 16 months, he has just played football non-stop.

With that in mind Celtic might not see the best of the player until next season, when he will be refreshed after having a break in the summer. It is testament to how good a player Hatate is that he has been a big player for the Hoops this season even after playing so much football.

This season is almost at an end, and Hatate has four games left to navigate, starting with the Glasgow derby. Those