With several new players arriving at Celtic this summer, there will be a need for these players to settle in quickly. Of course, that won’t be easy, considering the usual challenges that come with moving to a new club as well as the current circumstances.
So it is terrific to see a new player keen to be here and looking to make a great impression in the Hoops. Kyogo Furuhashi made his debut against Hearts as a second half substitute and fans will be hoping to see a lot more of him moving forward.
Furuhashi appears to have been encouraged about the move to Parkhead by none other than Andres Iniesta, who he was teammates with at Vissel Kobe. The FC Barcelona legend played against the Hoops several times in his career.
As reported by the Daily Record, Furuhashi said:
"“(He said) if I did what I was doing I should be getting good results so he encouraged me to come here.”"
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Iniesta encouraged Furuhashi to join Celtic
Furuhashi was one of the best players in the J1 League and there are high expectations surrounding the Japanese star. Naturally, he will take some time to settle into his new surroundings first though.
Of course, there will be some comparisons with Shunsuke Nakamura, a player who enjoyed a brilliant time at Parkhead. Interestingly, he still plays in the J1 League, for Yokohama FC, at the age of 43.
If he can find his feet in Scottish football, Furuhashi should be an exciting player to watch as well. He is fast, has an eye for goal and possesses the ability to create something out of nothing at times.
While Iniesta’s encouragement must have been important, Ange Postecoglou’s presence at the club must have played a huge role as well in Furuhashi’s decision to move to Celtic.
Postecoglou enjoyed a brilliant spell in Japan managing Yokohama F. Marinos and was very highly regarded for the style of football that his side played. While we are yet to see that in full flow at Parkhead, we have seen glimpses of it, especially in the first half of the first leg against FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie. And hopefully, with a bit more time, that kind of football will be regular sight at Parkhead.