WHERE might you think a famous international footballer would head to after clinching the league title at the end of a long, gruelling season? Marbella, perhaps? Ibiza maybe? How about Ayr beach?
Believe it or not, that’s where Celtic’s Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate has been enjoying a little ‘R & R’ before joining back up with his teammates for their Austrian training camp.
The important thing for Hatate perhaps was not so much the location, but the fact he was able to fully switch off and allow both body and mind to recover after a mammoth season.
Hatate burst onto the scene in Scotland in January with a screamer against Hearts and an incredible double against Rangers, but having arrived at Celtic straight off the back of a full season in the J-League with Kawasaki Frontale, fatigue soon started to set in and take something of a toll on his performances.
Now fully refreshed both physically and mentally, Hatate is looking forward to settling into life in Scotland a little bit more off the pitch, and showing the Celtic fans what he can do on the pitch when he is fully fit.
“When I first arrived in Scotland I didn’t have a enough time to enjoy everything,” Hatate said.
“For example, a few weeks ago I went to the beach in Scotland. I went down to the beach at Ayr. I enjoyed it and I would like to have some good times next season. “During my time off I took some enough rest and did individual things away from the football.
“For me, it was important to be refreshed emotionally. I spent time with my family and people who are important to me. “I am focused on each game, to have a good result and to contribute towards the team.”
It was always going to be difficult for Hatate to live up to the hype generated by the blistering start to his Celtic career, particularly after the two long-range goals he scored in that 3-0 win over Rangers that proved so pivotal in the Premiership title race.
The player himself though is setting that match as the bar to which he must aspire.
“That became to me my standard to play,” he said. “I know it is not easy to perform like that in every game but I try my best to be as close to that standard as I can. “As you know pre-season has just begun and I would like to improve my fitness gradually.
“We will help each other to contribute to the plan that is in place for us Celtic.”
Hatate has very little choice in adopting such a mindset, because like all the Celtic players, he is acutely aware that his place in the starting XI is far from secure, and while the squad may be close, they are also engaged in cut-throat competition with one another for starting jerseys.
It is a point that Ange Postecoglou is keen to hammer home on a regular basis, with the Celtic manager leaving his players in no doubt that they can never feel safe in his line-up.
“I don’t think they can, it’s part and parcel of this football club,” Postecoglou said.
“In my experience in sport, once you stand still, somebody will go past you.
“We had a great season last year, but we also know we need to be better in certain areas and improve, and that’s the intent this year.
“The good thing is the players have come in and embraced that, they are willing participants in that.
“They want to be better, they want to see how good a team we can be and how good individuals they can be.
“As long as you have that sort of mindset, you’ll constantly be looking to improve.”
There are those within such a large squad though who will inevitably fall short of nailing down a regular slot in his team, and for some of them, thoughts may inevitably turn to cutting their losses and finding a club where they may indeed be able to secure regular first-team football.
For some of the younger players, that may mean loan moves to gain experience. Mikey Johnston too may look to go elsewhere on a temporary basis as he looks to regain fitness and rebuild his confidence after an injury-disrupted career to date.
For others, like Christopher Jullien for example, that may mean a permanent move away from the club, and Postecoglou will be looking to address each individual case as pre-season wears on.
“There’s a few boys in that boat,” he said.
“I think for every footballer part of the process is to see how they fit or whether they fit into a picture.
“They all want to play, which is understandable, and sometimes those decisions mean they have to play elsewhere.
“But again, with guys like that, I’m having dialogue with them and it will take its natural course.”
