Reo Hatate was born in Suzuka, Mie, Japan, on 21 November 1997 (age 28). A compact midfielder at 5ft 7in (1.71m), he came through in Japan with Kawasaki Frontale before Celtic brought him to Glasgow in January 2022 for around £1.5m.
That move has shaped his career. Hatate settled quickly into Celtic’s midfield and, wearing squad number 41, has become one of the more important players of the recent period. He is primarily a centre midfielder, but his value has often been in the way he changes the pace of Celtic’s play rather than in any neat positional label.
Across five league seasons with Celtic, Hatate has made 132 league appearances and scored 25 league goals. His most productive league campaign came in 2024–25, when he scored 10 times in 37 appearances, a useful return from midfield and a reminder that his contribution has never been limited to tidy possession.
He remains a regular first-team presence in 2025–26. Hatate has made 30 league appearances and scored twice, while his wider Celtic season stands at 47 appearances and six goals across all competitions, including three in the Europa League. His current market value is around £8.5m, according to Transfermarkt.
Hatate’s career is now heavily bound up with Celtic. Kawasaki Frontale was the route in, but Glasgow is where he has built his reputation, and he remains a relevant part of the side rather than a name from a previous cycle.
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