Former Celtic boss backs Reo Hatate to flourish at Burnley

Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has backed Reo Hatate to rediscover his best form and do “extraordinary things” following his departure from Parkhead.

The Japanese midfielder brought his four-year spell at Celtic to an end this summer, having previously been linked with a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Hatate was one of the Hoops’ standout performers during his first three-and-a-half years in Glasgow, but his influence diminished last season as he struggled to recapture his previous form and became more of a bit-part figure.

Strachan acknowledges the 28-year-old has not been at his best recently, but remains convinced of his quality and believes he can flourish in England if deployed as part of a midfield three.

Speaking via The National, he said: “Hatate has got it. He has to play with three in midfield, but he can play, take the ball and go forward. He can do extraordinary things, that’s for sure.

“He’s a wonderful footballer and hopefully he gets back to where he was for those first three years, when he came to the club. He did very well at Celtic.

“We can always have times in our careers when we’re not at our best. I’ve done that myself. My last season at Manchester United wasn’t very good and so I went to Leeds and improved.”