Reo Hatate is finally finding his Celtic form again, and it couldn't come at a better time.
The midfielder has been under a lot of scrutiny this season for some lacklustre performances in the hoops, but for the last few games, he has been at the very top of his game. Being called a "shadow of his former self" just a few weeks ago, he now looks like the player we all know and love.
He managed to score the winning goal despite the original penalty missing two weekends ago at Ibrox, and he stepped up to the spot again on Sunday. His penalty was brilliant, and it was left in no doubt this time around, but even Martin O'Neill has admitted he was a bit worried when he saw Hatate's name was down on the list:
"You practice the penalties, but you can’t replicate it. You certainly cannot do. It doesn’t matter. And you know, after Reo last Sunday taking the penalties, once I saw that Reo was down as one of the five penalty takers, you know, I might have been a bit concerned. But it didn’t take him three attempts to put it in, and he wanted to take the penalty."
The Celtic midfielder is bursting into life now, and to be honest, it's massive for both sides.
Move on in the summer, but relish what we have
There's no doubt that we still have to move on from Hatate in the summer. He has been a fantastic servant to the club, but his time has come. However, we can enjoy the few months we have left of him if he keeps playing like this.
With Celtic fighting for the Scottish Premiership title, we need every player at the top of their game. Although some assets like Michel-Ange Balikwisha are write-offs at this point in the campaign, Hatate is one of the squad members who has been constantly fighting to come back better.
Not only will he help the Hoops close the gap between them and Hearts, which currently sits at five points, but he will also be putting himself in the shop window. With his performances this season, the suitor list may not have been massive for the summer, but with the displays he has put on in recent weeks, more clubs will be keeping an eye on the midfielder.
That's great news for both sides because not only can we get more money for him, but he can have better options for a move. He might want to stay in Europe, and now, he may be able to do just that.