Reo Hatate answers Celtic 'resilience' challenge as Ange Postecoglou certain star men can go up another level

It's clear by now Ange Postecoglou is a great believer in the old saying that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Towards the end of last term it looked like playing back-to-back campaigns in Japan in Scotland was going to end poor Reo Hatate. The midfielder arrived with a bang in January and became an instant hero with his Old Firm double that sent Celtic on their way to the title. But a few months later and the 24-year-old seemed to be running on fumes and he even admitted himself he was feeling a tad clapped out.

It was understandable. Hatate played a full season with Kawasaki Frontale and then had to jump straight in to a title race in Scotland. The attacker also had to deal with moving from the other side of the world and getting used to his new surroundings.Little wonder he needed a bit of a lie down but it’s amazing what a short break can do. Hatate has returned for pre-season like a man on a mission. He’s back to the January impact and his show-stealing performances against Legia Warsaw and Norwich City have got fans frenzied about the prospect of what’s to come.

Last season might have nearly killed him – but Postecoglou is convinced the playmaker will be stronger for it. The Hoops boss said: “He needed a break but at the same time working through that difficult period last year was good for him. It showed him, it built some resilience into him, he feels fresh now. He had a little bit of a setback the other week and missed a few days’ training.

“But he’s made up for that and he’s looked really bright. Most of the team have looked pretty bright. Reo’s been good, but for all our players, they’ve enjoyed the fact that they had a pre-season with us. I keep saying that we threw a lot of these guys in