Reo Hatate’s first goal for Celtic was as good as they come. He unleashed a stunning shot from 30 yards out which made its way past Craig Gordon into Hearts’ net. And he was a presence in the middle of the park for the Hoops throughout the game as well. It definitely looks like the club have pulled off a transfer masterstroke by signing the midfielder from Kawasaki Frontale in January.

Hatate had set the bar very high for himself with an incredible debut performance against Hibernian last week. And he did not let his standards drop against Hearts either.

While the signing of Daizen Maeda might have grabbed most of the headlines, many had claimed that Hatate was the one with the most potential out of the Japanese trio that Celtic signed earlier this month. And after his first couple of performances, it is not hard to see why.

Ange Postecoglou seems to believe that Hatate has more in his locker though and is just beginning, which is a claim that will certainly excite Celtic fans. As reported by the Daily Record, the Celtic manager said:

“He has got more you know, he is just beginning.

“It’s not easy because he set a pretty high bar after the first game. But he is a very determined young man to reach the top.”

Postecoglou’s sensational Hatate claim will excite Celtic fans

Hatate has looked like a brilliant player in his first few appearances for Celtic. Of course, this is just the beginning of his time at Parkhead and it is important for him to keep performing at this level moving forward. The early signs are very positive though.

He was not the only January signing who impressed against Hearts though. Matt O’Riley looked very good as well in his debut for Celtic.

Thus, the midfield seems to be shaping up quite nicely for the Hoops and it will be interesting to see which three end up starting when all or most of them are fit and available. Right now, Tom Rogic is away on international duty while Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Yosuke Ideguchi are out injured.