Born in Japan on the 21st November 1997, Reo Hatate has marked his presence in the heart of Scottish football as a dependable central midfielder for Celtic. Measuring up at a steady 5ft 7in (1.71m) and a fighting fit 11st (70kg), Hatate holds his own in the rigorous midfield battleground that is the Scottish Premiership. Donning the number 41 jersey, Hatate has further exemplified his talent on the international stage through representation of the Japanese national team.
Currently, Hatate's market value stands near the €12.00m mark, as documented by Transfermarkt, equating to a considerable approximate of £10m.
The Japanese midfielder commenced his professional football journey with Kawasaki Frontale in the J1 League in Japan, joining the club in August 2018. Following a relatively quiescent debut season with merely a solitary first team appearance in league matches in 2019, Hatate soon found his stride. He made 31 and 30 first team appearances over the 2020 and 2021 seasons respectively, slotting the ball in the back of the net on five occasions in each season.
Then came the momentous juncture in his career. In January 2022, Hatate embarked on a new journey with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, an opportunity brokered at a cost of around £1.4m. At Celtic, Hatate made steady strides towards becoming a club stalwart. In his inaugural Scottish season (2021 - 2022), Hatate graced the pitch 17 times, impressing with four league goals. The subsequent season witnessed a marked increase in Hatate's presence, securing 32 first team appearances and finding the back of the net six times. Seasons 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025 reflected his much-valued contribution to Celtic, where he yielded three and ten goals respectively from his overarching 53 first team appearances over both seasons. The current running season of 2025 - 2026 sees Hatate continuing his commendable form with 14 first team appearances and a solitary goal to his name.
In addition to his contributions on the home front, Hatate boasts an impressive international and continental record featuring in several key tournaments. His functioning as a Celtic player put him on the Champions League stages in season 2023-2024, League Cup in 2025-2026 (where he netted a goal) and the Europa League 2025-2026 (scoring two goals). The Japanese furthermore had a run in the Champions League Qualifiers 2025-2026 for Celtic. In his national colours, Hatate participated in World Cup Qualifiers for Asia during the 2024-2026 tenure.
