Ange Postecoglou says Celtic have stolen a march on rival clubs when it comes to signing Asia’s top talent.
The Parkhead gaffer has already snared Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, Yuki Kobayashi and Hyeon-gyu Oh from Japan and South Korea respectively. And Postecoglou says their positive experience in Glasgow will help Celtic entice more stars from the Far East. Also, the Hoops boss is convinced the club’s summer tour in Asia - which was confirmed last week - will only broaden their reach when it comes to attracting the best players from that part of the world.
The likes of Hearts and Motherwell signed players from Japan this season after seeing the success Celtic had exploring that market. And Hibs’ new director of football, Brian McDermott, has vowed to find the new Kyogo in his role at Easter Road. But Postecoglou has warned other clubs that if they want to pluck top players from Japan in particular - Celtic will be ahead of them in the queue.
The manager, who spent three years in the J-League with Yokohama Marinos before arriving in Scotland, was asked if he has a head start in that department and said: “I think it definitely helps us.
“Not just because we are signing players and giving them an opportunity. But the players’ experiences here help.
“The best feedback you can get in life is from a person who is already involved. All the players who have come here have appreciated how welcoming everyone is and how the club has looked after them.
“They have enjoyed their time in the city and how the supporters have embraced them. That is better ammunition for us in terms of selling who we are, than us just trying to tell people what we can provide.
“It’s coming straight from the people involved and I think that’s been tremendously helpful for us. It’s a market that will become more and more competitive, no doubt.
“It is already competitive. So having trust there from people already here is enormously helpful for us.”
Celtic will spend a week in Japan and Korea during pre-season, playing games ahead of the new Premiership campaign. The tour of the Far East is sure to add to the club’s global fanbase and increase their popularity in a football-mad continent.
Postecoglou is delighted to be returning after his successful stint at Yokohama. And he’s adamant that, commercially, it will be hugely beneficial for Celtic.
He said: “I’m pleased about it for personal reasons. I was delighted with the recent Australia trip and I am delighted with the Japan trip.
“Obviously I spent four years there and, knowing the country really well and a lot of people there, it’s great. But I think more importantly, this football club gets to broaden its reach. Obviously with our recruiting in the last 18 months or so mainly in Japan but also in Korea now - there is great interest in our football club.
“We want that to grow. We want to create millions more Celtic supporters and I think our presence there, I know in Japan in particular but in Korea as well, will be greatly appreciated.
“We will put back in as much as we get from these trips by giving the opportunity to show people just how much we appreciate their support in these countries.
“And we will also give back to them in terms of developing their footballers and giving them new experiences as well.
“I’m really looking forward to it, it will be a great trip. They have fantastic facilities, fantastic support, and great teams to play against.
“I think the players will enjoy it as well.”
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