Reo Hatate was born in Suzuka, Mie, Japan, on 21 November 1997 (age 28), and came to Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022 for around £1.5m. A compact midfielder at 5ft 7in (1.71m), he arrived with a different rhythm to most Scottish midfields and quickly became more than an interesting Japanese import.
Celtic has become the main work of his career. Wearing number 41, Hatate has made 132 league appearances across five seasons, scoring 25 league goals. His best scoring league campaign came in 2024–2025, when he scored 10 times in 37 appearances, a fair return for a centre midfielder whose value has usually been in how he moves the ball, finds space and changes the pace of a game.
He has also collected plenty while at Celtic: three Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups. That does not make him beyond criticism – few Celtic midfielders are – but it does place his contribution in the proper setting. He has been part of a successful side, not just passing through it.
In 2025–2026, Hatate remains a regular first-team presence, with 30 league appearances and two league goals, plus further minutes in the cups and in Europe. Across all competitions this season, he has made 47 appearances and scored six goals. His form has been solid rather than spectacular, though he has been out of the matchday squad recently, with his last appearance coming in Celtic’s 1-0 win over St Mirren on 11 April 2026.
His market value is around £8.5m, according to Transfermarkt. More importantly, he remains a significant Celtic midfielder: signed from Japan, established in Glasgow, and still part of the side’s present rather than just its recent past.
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