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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Josh McCafferty

Daizen Maeda's Celtic welcome message to fellow countryman Hayato Inamura

Daizen Maeda has taken to Instagram to welcome new signing Hayato Inamura to Celtic. 

The Japanese central defender signed a four-year deal at Parkhead on Friday. 

Inamura has already trained with his new teammates, and his fellow countryman and new teammate, Maeda, gave him a warm welcome online. 


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The attacker, who was crucial for Celtic last season, shared a picture of Inamura with writing in Japanese, which translates to 'Dear Niigata (Inamura's old club), he's fine'.

Daizen Maeda welcomes Hayato Inamura to Celtic.Daizen Maeda welcomes Hayato Inamura to Celtic. (Image: Instagram/@m_daizen0827)

It's clear that Celtic view the 23-year-old, who has just over a year of senior football experience under his belt, as a player for the future. 

"He won’t be part of the first team," said manager Brendan Rodgers

"We’ll assess and see where he’s at as a young player. Then it’s whether he stays with the squad or whether he has to go out on his own."

Inamura has taken number 25, in tribute to ex-Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, who was one of his heroes growing up: "He was one of my favourite players," the defender told CelticTV. 

"The reason why I chose 25 is because out of the options I was given, that one really stood out to me.

"I used to imitate his kicking style when I was a kid," said Inamura. 

"Many Japanese players have had success at this club. Across the world, this is a massive club and is really well known.

"I am truly excited to be joining Celtic. It’s a huge opportunity for me. So far, even the current Japanese players have been performing at a high level."

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