Martin O'Neill has clarified the situation with Reo Hatate amidst concerns over the amount of playing time he is being given.
Over the last four games, the midfielder has played under 20 minutes of football, and he hasn't been in the starting eleven since the tie against Dundee United. Other options like Luke McCowan have been favoured over him, with the Scotsman even being offered a new contract last week.
Now, O'Neill has clarified what is really going on with the midfield situation and why Hatate seems to have been frozen out.
Speaking to RecordSport, he said: "Reo is a fine footballer. I think two seasons ago, he’d be one of the best in Scotland really. Midfield players tend to go through these little periods where you can’t do anything wrong. But you make three or four mistakes in a match in relatively quick succession, and then you lose a bit of confidence and things like that.
"But he’ll be around at this minute. You’re hoping that the competition for places… you’ve got Arne [Engels] coming back now from injury, and you’ve got Alex [Oxlade-Chamberlain] trying to get up to speed all the time and making an impact.
"Even if he [Oxlade-Chamberlain] never kicked another ball for us, he’s won two matches for us by scoring the goals. Part of me is actually quite pleased that it’s been hard for players to pick up the speed here. Because sometimes people think [Scottish football] will be easy.”
Hatate's days are numbered
The latest comments, although they praise Hatate, don't bode well for his future at the club. This all but confirms that he will be leaving in the summer, so now, it's just the question of how much money Celtic can get for him.
Despite his form being inconsistent, it wouldn't come as a surprise if European clubs were to come in for him. Maybe even teams south of the border would be willing to give him a contract, but that is yet to be seen.
There are currently no real links; however, they will soon come. Hatate could never start for the Hoops again, and although it's a sad way to leave, sometimes that's just the way that football goes.
Either way, the Japanese midfielder has been a fantastic player for the club throughout his time here. We'll never forget his prime in Glasgow, when he was literally running the league, and hopefully, he can recapture that form elsewhere.
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