Frustrated Reo Hatate throws lingering Celtic narrative in the bin as midfielder names his new top priority

Frustrated Reo Hatate throws lingering Celtic narrative in the bin as midfielder names his new top priority.

Let downReo Hatate has acknowledged that, despite his most recent international call-up, he felt “frustrated” to be ignored by Japan.

Despite going more than 5000 miles to his native country and not making the roster for either of the matches against China or Bahrain, the Celtic star has maintained that it was not a waste of time. Although Hajime Moriyasu was only able to designate 23 players in the matchday squads, he nonetheless called up 27 players for the World Cup qualifying double header.

Both times, Hatate was left out, which led some Hoops supporters to lament the meaningless trip in the heart of the Premiership with the Champions League campaign just around the horizon. The midfield player, nevertheless, rejects such idea, stating that his disappointment on the trip simply motivates him to perform more for the Scottish champions. “I would be lying if I said I did not have regrets about the recent Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup,” he wrote in a piece for Sportiva.

“Japan played Bahrain away on September 10 and China at home on September 5, and although though I was picked for the national team, I didn’t make the 23-man roster for either match. Since the beginning of the league season, I had assisted and scored goals for Celtic, so I knew I could contribute when I took the pitch. I had also been in good shape since the preseason.

The fact that, after travelling from Glasgow such a distance, I had to watch the game from the outside also annoyed

and saddened me. This, in my opinion, is a normal emotion for every musician, and without that irritation, I don’t

think I could have grown or developed.

“It is the coach who decides who will participate in the match, and it is also the coach’s authority. That is an area that

I, as a player, have no control over.

‘Therefore, I decided to focus on what I could do and what I could do now, instead of focusing on what I could not

control. What could I do to make the team this time, if I could not make the team? Training, eating, sleeping, and

staying in shape. I realised that there are still many things that I can do.

“How can I use this experience as food for thought and apply it to our own personal growth? Therefore, I do not

consider my participation in the Japan team activities to have been a waste of time, and I believe that there were

many things that I could not have experienced, learned, and made a positive impact if I had not been there.

As a human, I occasionally display my frustration on my face. However, having participated in the AFC Asian Cup 2024 with the Japan national team, I have grown even more committed to staying with the squad and my passion to support the team has grown, regardless of whether I play in the games.

“In order to return to the pitch as a member of the national team, I would like to pursue the goals and assists that I have been working on at Celtic as well as the energy with which I can get in front of the goal.

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