Reo Hatate was born in Suzuka, Mie, Japan, on 21 November 1997 (age 28). A compact midfielder at 5ft 7in (1.71m), he came to Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022 for around £1.5m, part of the Japanese intake that quickly altered the shape and tempo of the side.
Hatate’s Celtic spell is the clear centre of his career. He has made 132 league appearances for the club across five seasons, scoring 25 league goals, with his best attacking return coming in 2024-25 when he scored 10 times in 37 league games. At his best, he has given Celtic control, invention and a bit of bite in midfield – sometimes all in the same move, sometimes not quite in the order intended.
His time in Glasgow also brought proper substance. Hatate won four Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups with Celtic, and was part of another Scottish Cup final run. That is a fair body of work for a player whose influence has often been measured as much in rhythm and angles as in obvious headline moments.
Hatate left Celtic for Burnley in September 2026. In the 2026-27 season he made four league appearances for Celtic before the move, and has also made four Championship appearances for Burnley, where he wears number 41 and is listed primarily as a central midfielder.
His market value is around £8.5m, according to Transfermarkt. However his career is measured, first and foremost, by what he did at Celtic: trophies, goals from midfield, and a sustained place in one of the club’s most successful recent sides.
📈 Key stats and insights
