Reo Hatate, a Celtic star, expressed disappointment after traveling 9,000 miles to join Japan, only to be left out of the match against Bahrain. Despite this setback, he credits his experience in the Champions League with the Hoops for giving him the confidence he needs to push through. Japan secured their spot in the World Cup Finals with a win over Bahrain. Hatate, along with his Celtic teammate Daizen Maeda, were unused substitutes in the game, but Hatate remains optimistic about his chances of making it to the World Cup squad.
Reflecting on his Champions League performance, Hatate said, “Scoring a goal in the Champions League has given me immense confidence as a player. I believe in my abilities and hope that my experience in the Champions League will help me secure a spot in the World Cup.” Despite not playing in the recent match, Hatate is focused on achieving his personal goal of representing Japan in the World Cup next year.
Meanwhile, on international duty, Luis Palma scored for Honduras, hoping to attract interest for a lucrative move away from Celtic. Palma, who was loaned out to Olympiacos, has been in and out of the team but made an impact in the recent match against Bermuda. Celtic has seen success with loaned-out players like Alexandro Bernabei and Gustaf Lagerbielke, and they hope Palma follows suit with impressive performances.
In another development, Neil Lennon has returned to coaching at Dunfermline and Hugh Keevins has offered his caravan as a retreat for the newly appointed manager. Lennon’s first game will be against Ayr United, and Keevins jokingly welcomes him back to the SPFL, reminiscing about Lennon’s last game as a Celtic player against Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup Final. Keevins light-heartedly jokes about the upcoming match against Scott Brown’s Ayr United, wishing Lennon luck in his new role.
