Celtic’s bold Japanese evolution begins in earnest tonight.
At least one of the Glasgow club’s three fresh recruits from the J-League – Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi – is expected to make their debut when Hibs travel to Celtic Park this evening.
Compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi has already set a disproportionately high bar for the new trio who arrived in January as part of an imaginative recruitment drive.
The 26-year-old (who is likely to miss out through injury) has quickly become a fan’s favourite thanks to his exceptional technique, clinical finishing, and engaging personality.
Manager Ange Postecoglou has already warned against categorising the players solely on their nationality. Adjusting to the speed, intensity and robust physical challenge of the Scottish game are all considerable factors for any foreign player regardless of where they come from.
However, the fact that in the near future Celtic will become the first European club to field four senior Japanese players at the same time in a single game is both remarkable and historic.
Postecoglou has inside knowledge of Japanese football after three and a half years as coach of Yokohama F Marinos, winning the J-League 2019 and coaching forward Maeda.
Yet until the arrival of Kyogo in July 2021 it seemed as though Celtic had all but abandoned scouting for players in Asia. Given the undoubted past successes of legendary Japanese set-piece maestro Shunsuke Nakamura and South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-yeung, it had been proven as an affordable market in which the potential benefits outweighed the many risks.
Nakamura, who is incredibly still playing at the age of 43 for Yokohama FC, created a lasting legacy with flawlessly brilliant Champions League free kicks (among many others) against Manchester United home and away in his four-year spell from 2005 to 2009.
Ki provided goals, assists, and impressed with his passing and positioning in three seasons from 2009 to 2012.
Not all gambles pay off though.
Koki Mizuno did not have such a lasting impact, although he did make history when featuring alongside compatriot Nakamura 14 years ago, playing just 12 games in total before leaving anonymously in 2010.
Equally South Korean full-back Cha Du-ri was largely a forgettable figure alongside fellow countryman Ki. The son of Cha Bum-kun – who is widely viewed as one of the finest Asian players of all time after winning the UEFA Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen in the 1980s – he always lived in his father’s shadow and was never a regular in his two years in Glasgow from 2010 to 2012.
The less said about Chinese defender Du Wei the better. A disastrous Scottish Cup display against Clyde sealed an ignominious departure in 2006, while forward Zheng Zhi was slightly more effective, making 16 appearances and scoring once in the 2009-2010 season. It remains a mystery why the world’s most populous country has failed to produce a single world class player despite significant investment in coaching and facilities, but it is unlikely Celtic will scour the Chinese market any time soon.
Postecoglou’s ambitious capture of Hatate, Maeda and Ideguchi has been headline news not only in Scotland but Japan.
While unlikely to provide a merchandising bonanza or significant broadcast revenues, it has dramatically increased Celtic’s profile in a country which idolises its sports stars.
The club is already well known to the majority of football fans through Nakamura and Kyogo’s immediate impact has led to all the Scottish club’s games being broadcast in the country.
Working as an online English tutor it has been a privilege to speak to Japanese football fans about the new signings and the consensus is that Hatate will adapt the quickest at Celtic.
The 24-year-old has the physique and versatility to play anywhere from wing-back on either flank to midfield or even in an advanced forward position.
Maeda knows Postecoglou’s style and demands after working with him in Japan, and his ferocious pace, close control and link up play will complement Kyogo with the potential to form a lethal partnership in attack.
Perhaps midfielder Ideguchi has the most to prove after failing to make the grade at Leeds United earlier in his career, although loan spells in Spain (Cultural Leonesa) and Germany (Greuther Furth) will have helped as he aims to settle in quickly at Celtic.
Joining any European club, not least one of Celtic’s size and stature, is regarded as a tremendous opportunity for any Japanese player.
There are no guarantees the triumvirate will replicate Kyogo’s swift acclimatisation to a new footballing culture, but they will not be lacking in dedication, professionalism, and work rate.
Regardless, it will be fascinating to observe how they integrate and develop as Celtic becomes an attractive destination not only for players from Japan but Asia again.
A sizeable audience will be watching nearly 6000 miles away, despite the nine-hour time difference, as Hatate, Maeda and Ideguchi begin a new chapter in their careers in the Scottish Premiership.
Stephen Kasiewicz 