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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Aidan Smith

Reo Hatate updates on his future 'goals' after turning Celtic contract offer down

Reo Hatate has opened up on his Celtic future after turning down an initial contract extension at Parkhead.

The Japanese international has been an integral figure for Celtic in recent seasons after he was brought to the club by Ange Postecoglou.

Hatate's form resulted in Celtic offering a new contract, but the 25-year-old subsequently turned the offer down.

It remains to be seen if a better offer may be able to tempt the midfielder but in an open interview with Japanese outlet Soccer King, he has detailed his aspirations for the future.

He said: "I have always had an ultimate goal in mind. I have set short- and mid-term goals to achieve them, and I feel that I am gradually clearing them.

"However, there are still some areas that I have yet to clear, so I would like to continue to set firm benchmarks in my mind and work without wavering. I want to finish without regrets. That is the best.

"I don't know how many more years I have left, but I really want to finish without regrets. I don't want to play for too long, nor do I want to quit right away, but I hope to reach a point where I am satisfied as a professional soccer player.

"I think my strength is that I can play in a variety of different ways, so I would like to raise that average even higher. At the same time, I would like to add a special characteristic to my game. I think there are still areas where I can grow, so I want to sort that out as I go along."

Hatate has struggled with injuries this season, but yesterday Brendan Rodgers confirmed that he is fit and available for tomorrow's fixture against Dundee.

He said: “Reo Hatate will be back which is great news for us.”

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