johnreid 
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Sport
Reo Hatate may have played less than 180 minutes for Celtic – he has played 164 minutes – but what an impact he has had in that time for the Hoops.
Firstly, he turned in a man of the match display on his debut against Hibernian. Then, against Hearts, he scored the opening goal with a superb strike as the Bhoys secured a vital 2-1 win.
Perhaps what was most impressive about his display against the Tynecastle side wasn’t his goal, as good as that was. It was the fact that his game didn’t seem to be affected from the fact that he was playing with a different midfield than to his debut against Hibernian.
Against the Easter Road side, Hatate played alongside Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic. Against Hearts, with McGregor injured and Rogic on international duty, Hatate played in trio with Matt O’Riley and Nir Bitton.
If anything, his display against Hearts was even more impressive than how he performed against Hibernian, as he was playing alongside Bitton who is often on the bench for the Hoops and O’Riley who was making his Celtic debut.
It was a midfield three that had never played together before, and despite they managed to dominate large parts of the game. Hatate faded a bit in the second-half as he tired, but overall it was another very good performance from the 24-year-old.
He has hit the ground running for the Hoops, and that is exactly what Celtic needed, especially with Callum McGregor out of action for the foreseeable future with his face injury.
It is still early days for Hatate in his Celtic career, but it already looks like a star is born. He has already shown that he is going to be a key man for the Hoops this season and in the future, as his contract runs until 2026.
Obviously Hatate will have bigger tests awaiting him in his Celtic career, such as next midweek’s Glasgow derby against Rangers, but if he can excel in a trip to Tynecastle, which is one of the hardest games Celtic face in the Premiership, then he can do the same against Rangers.
Before the Rangers game Celtic are in action against Dundee United, and you would imagine that Hatate will be a key man for the Hoops once more. He has already shown in less than 180 minutes just how influential a player he looks to be, and hopefully that will continue for years to come at Celtic Park.
