Peter Grant hails ‘wonderful’ Celtic star for ‘fantastic’ moment he produced in Martin O’Neill’s last dance vs Dundee
Martin O’Neill capped off his interim Celtic reign with another three points as Celtic beat Dundee 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Celtic announced the appointment of Wilfried Nancy shortly before kick-off at Parkhead, providing pre-match confirmation that the clash would be O’Neill’s final assignment in charge of the team.
The 73-year-old bowed out with his 100 per cent domestic record in tact, and he and the team have closed the gap to Hearts at the top of the Premiership.
Daizen Maeda nodded home the only goal of the game for the Bhoys in the 11th minute, and they defended resolutely throughout the remainder of the contest to ensure that O’Neill also signed off with a clean sheet.
Peter Grant hails Reo Hatate for his range of passing
Reo Hatate came under fire from Celtic fans for his performances in the early stages of the campaign, but he has been transformed as a player since O’Neill returned to the club.
The Japanese star has developed into one of the first names on the team sheet for Celtic in recent weeks, and he was at the heart of everything good about his team in midweek.
Hatate showcased his range of passing throughout the 90 minutes, but perhaps most notably when he laid the ball wide for Marcelo Saracchi to get a shot in on the visiting goalkeeper.
It was a perfectly weighted ball from the midfielder, and could easily have resulted in an assist, had Saracchi been able to apply a better finish.
Nevertheless, Hatate’s vision was enough for him to be singled out for praise by ex-Celtic hero Peter Grant.
“Look at the pass from Hatate,” Grant said during Celtic TV’s coverage of the game.
“Before anybody can get into a defensive position, he’s already made that pass. Saracchi is good enough to hit the ball first time.
“It’s a fantastic pass from Hatate yet again, who’s had a wonderful first half.”
Celtic need Reo Hatate’s end product to improve
Hatate became a scapegoat for Celtic fans in the latter stages of Brendan Rodgers’ reign earlier in the season, and he has reiterated the quality that he possesses once again under O’Neill.
However, if the 28-year-old is going to take his game to the next level, then he needs to improve his productivity in and around the box.
He has regularly been used by O’Neill as the most advanced member of Celtic’s midfield, and with that in mind, his tally of three goal contributions in the Premiership so far this term leaves a lot to be desired.
Hatate managed 14 goal involvements in leageu action across the whole of 2024-25, and Nancy will certainly be looking for him to produce those kinds of numbers again moving forward.