Andres Iniesta is a man of few words so when the Barcelona legend spoke, Kyogo Furuhashi knew it was best to listen.
And when one of the all-time greats tell you to jump at the chance to move to Celtic then it’s a no-brainer to follow his advice.
Furuhashi checked in at Parkhead this week but he’ll always be grateful for the guidance he got from his former Vissel Kobe pal.
Iniesta was more than just a team-mate for the 26-year-old attacker. He was more than just a mentor as well.
The Spanish icon gave the Hoops new Bhoy the full briefing about his big move to Scotland – and told him to soak up the power of Parkhead.
Iniesta was blown away by the Celtic Park atmosphere the numerous times he was in town on Champions League duty with Barcelona.
And Japan star Furuhashi, speaking for the first time since his £4.6million move to Celts, said: “Iniesta was a teacher, a big brother and family to me. I have great respect for him. We played a lot together.
“He’s a quiet person but I learned a lot from him. I feel a special connection with him and really enjoyed playing alongside him.
“He encouraged me to come here. He played here with Barcelona and told me the power of the supporters was huge. For him, Celtic Park was a tough, tough stadium but for me being on their side and being part of Celtic makes me excited to experience it.”
Furuhashi is determined to throw himself into Celtic and Scottish culture. He’d already started English tutorials in his homeland and there are other things he’d like to learn here more than others.
The frontman said: “I think I would like to learn some golf! I have heard there are some players in the dressing room who like to play and we know Scotland is the home of golf.
“It’s something I’ve always been interested in taking up.
“I think playing golf would be better than trying the whisky!”
Furuhashi might have needed a stiff drink after his debut at the weekend. He was barely out of his 10-day quarantine when he was chucked on for the final 10 minutes at Tynecastle as Celtic chased a winner.
It was Hearts who struck instead as Ange Postecoglou ’s Premiership campaign got off to a stuttering start.
Furuhashi admitted it was quite the culture shock. And he knows Scottish football is going to take him some time to get used to.
He was surprised even his first few training sessions were more hardcore than a lot of the games in Japan.
But he’s vowed to get stuck in, roll with the blows and make the most of his chance to follow in the footsteps of Japanese great Shunsuke Nakamura. Furuhashi said: “This was my first time playing in a foreign league and it was different.
“My first impression was it’s a tough, physical contest with a lot of speed.
“It’s very physical compared to the J-League and the contact is hard. You certainly feel the difference, not only in the game but even in the training.
“It’s really interesting for me to adapt and play my game. I am sure I can cope with the physical side.
“But at Celtic we have great players, a great manager, and great fans, so we can unite and be together to be successful.
“I will do my best for the club to achieve that.”
Furuhashi is glad he’ll have the power of Parkhead behind him but also the fact he’s now on board with Postecoglou.
He’s much rather be with his gaffer than against him – despite his decent record.
The winger faced the Aussie coach’s Yokahama F Marinos in the J-League – and sunk his new manager with a goal in the Japanese Super Cup last year when Kobe came out on top.
Furuhashi said: “Thankfully he did not hold a grudge!
“The manager created an extremely interesting style of football with Marinos and of course he won the league. It was always a tough club to play against. I’m just excited. I’m now in his team and I get to be part of his style.
“He brought me over here and he believes I can be part of it.
“The manager has brought me here to play in the wide areas but I am always thinking about scoring goals.
“The fans can expect me to run, run run, to create opportunities. I also want to score and become a big name here at Celtic.”
Furuhashi knows how to go about it having watched former Celt Nakamura over the years. He’s well aware of the Glasgow goldfish bowl and what it means to go head to head with arch-rivals Rangers.
He added: “I’m looking forward to the derby. I played in some big derbies in Japan. The games against Osaka were always the biggest and they were very passionate, with so much at stake for the supporters.
“It’s a tough night for fans. I always like to focus on my own performance no matter who I am playing against.”
