Ange Postecoglou has defended the quality of Scottish football after Kyogo and Reo Hatate's recent omissions from the Japan national team setup.
Both of Celtic's star men were left out of the Hajime Moriyasu's squad for their upcoming games at the end of this month.
The head coach of the team cited the levels of the league they compete in as the reason behind their absences.
Daizen Maeda, who played at the World Cup for the Japanese, has been included in the squad.
Now, responding to Moriyasu's comments, Postecoglou reckons he's being harsh on the Premiership's standards.
The Australian said: “Both boys are playing really well and it’s disappointing for them that they haven’t been selected, but that’s the nature of international football. It comes down to the national team manager’s decisions.
“In terms of disrespect, it’s one person’s opinion. I’m not really sure we should make too many far-reaching conclusions.
“If you come here next week you’ll probably find that we don’t have many players training. The reason for that is they’re away at international football.
“We had five players at the World Cup who did okay, better than okay. We’ve had Josip Juranovic and Moritz Jenz leave our football club and are playing regularly in the Bundesliga, which is a top-five league.
“Now unless once they enter those clubs they magically become better footballers, I’d suggest the selection of individual footballers doesn’t come down to the level of the league.
“There have been plenty of players who have left this league and gone to the biggest leagues in the world and have performed really well and there are plenty of players in the Scottish Premiership who have done extremely well at international level, and plenty of players who have come from top-five leagues who have struggled in the Premiership.
“One man’s opinion doesn’t mean it’s wrong but doesn’t mean that’s the case either.”
Postecoglou backed both players to bounce back from the blow.
“There wouldn’t be many greater disappointments than missing selection for a World Cup and, if you look at the way the two lads have responded to that, they are playing football better than ever,” he said.
“They are both really determined young men and they are going to get to the top of the game one way or another.
“Whatever challenges they have in front of them I am sure they will overcome and my role is to to try and help them do that.”
