Pre-season is never the right time to get a clear picture of a player. That being said, that does not mean that one should overlook impressive performances from players, especially from those who do not have a lot of expectations surrounding them. For Brendan Rodgers, it might be time to have a rethink about one of the Hoops' summer signings and his role in the team moving forward.
Celtic must have impressed even their biggest detractors with a 4-0 win over Newcastle United when the two teams met this weekend. And one player was an unexpected standout.
We are talking about none other than Hayato Inamura. It is believed that Celtic paid around €250,000 to sign him from Albirex Niigata. Naturally, there were not many expectations surrounding him.
Even Rodgers appeared to hint that he was destined to head out on loan. But Inamura has impressed with his appearances in pre-season. He appears to be a brilliant reader of the game and very assured with the ball at his feet as well.
Brendan Rodgers must make U-turn on Celtic player after win vs Newcastle United
Inamura has done enough to at least have a place in the squad. Celtic deserve a ton of credit for their scouting of the player as well. It is safe to say that a lot of fans were not convinced by the move but are starting to change their minds already.
Celtic have completed another signing from the J-League, as the arrival of Shin Yamada has already been announced. One can only hope that he proves to be a pleasant surprise as well, just like Inamura.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Inamura but it does feel like he is in a much better position now than he was when he arrived at Celtic. He deserves a ton of credit for that.