Celtic captain Callum McGregor has declared that a revitalised Reo Hatate could yet have a decisive influence on the outcome of this season's fiercely contested Scottish Premiership title race. The Japanese international midfielder, a key figure at Parkhead in recent years, has faced significant criticism for much of the current campaign due to a series of lacklustre performances.
Hatate's Resurgence on the European and Domestic Stage
Speculation had even mounted that the 28-year-old had mentally checked out ahead of a probable summer departure. However, Hatate has emphatically silenced his detractors with two outstanding displays in the space of a week. He was instrumental in Celtic's crucial 1-0 away victory against Stuttgart in the Europa League, before coming off the bench at half-time in Sunday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
His introduction transformed the game, inspiring Celtic to fight back from a two-goal deficit to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw. Hatate brought a much-needed sense of composure, guile, and creativity to the midfield in the second half, culminating in him scoring a last-gasp equaliser at the third attempt, having initially missed a penalty.
McGregor's Praise for a 'Special' Talent
Praising his teammate as a 'special' talent, skipper McGregor is convinced Hatate will be a major asset if he can maintain this peak form. 'Reo was outstanding in the second half,' said McGregor. 'He knows the way we want to play, the little patterns, the cues to come short, link the game, and when to run behind. He was excellent when he came on. I thought he was excellent in Stuttgart as well. He's a player that can do special things.'
McGregor emphasised the need to manage Hatate's talent consistently. 'You have to stay on top of him all the time to get the best out of him. And I think the last two games, in Stuttgart and at Ibrox, he's been outstanding. So if that's him just starting to creep up in terms of levels, that can only be a good thing. For sure, we will need everyone at their best, but especially a player like him. He's a special player and, if you can get him firing, then he's a real asset.'
Celtic's Show of Champion Spirit at Ibrox
The context of Hatate's heroics made the performance even more significant. Trailing 2-0 at half-time against a Rangers side that had dominated proceedings, Celtic were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat. Yet, they displayed immense resilience to dig deep and fight back for a point, showcasing what McGregor believes is the spirit of champions.
'At 2-0 down, with their fans going crazy, it's a tough place to come,' admitted the Celtic captain. 'That's not an easy situation, but full credit to the boys for the second half. Maybe the last four or five weeks that mental strength has been quite evident. Football's not easy. It never goes to plan a lot of the time. You need characters, you need personality to take the ball and play your way back into the game. There's no better place to do that than Ibrox.'
Building Momentum for the Final Push
McGregor acknowledged that while the team cannot afford to keep giving themselves such mountainous challenges, the character shown is a positive sign. 'It shows everyone that we're right in this, obviously with a game in hand which hopefully will nudge us closer. Then we charge down these last eight games and see where we can get to,' he stated.
Reflecting on the team's recent habit of scoring late goals, McGregor added, 'I think that has been evident over the last four or five weeks. Obviously we'd probably like to not be putting ourselves in those positions, but the game's never perfect and it just shows you the team are still fighting. We believe in where we want to get to and it's that attitude where you never know when you're beat.'
Looking ahead, McGregor sees the dramatic point at Ibrox as a potential momentum-shifter, especially with a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Rangers at the same venue coming this weekend. 'We know Ibrox was rocking. We have to try and capitalize on that. We've got a Scottish Cup game at the same venue against the same opponent, and we want to try and feed into that as much as we can. It's just little moments like that that can hopefully turn the momentum in your favour. The boys showed every bit of character they've got, and it was a really good point in the end.'
