Call me Guchi was the message from new Celtic signing Yosuke Ideguchi.
The 25-year-old previously had a spell with Leeds United which will give him a little insight into the demands and traditions of the British game.
During his year and a half with the Yorkshire side he was sent out on loan to Spain and Germany before returning to Gamba Osaka in August 2019.
A return to European football must have seemed unlikely but with Ange Postecoglou swapping Yokohama F Marinos for Celtic a new route has been established from the J-League to Europe.
? “When I was in Japan, I watched Celtic and I was interested in the style, so I’m excited to be able to join his team.”
????????? first #CelticFC interview with Guchi ???#JapaneseBhoys ?? @CelticFCJPN pic.twitter.com/HFTkEZTuh3
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 2, 2022
? ?Please call me Guchi!?
Our new man from @CelticFCJPN is very happy to be at #CelticFC and has a message to the fans ???
Full interview ?#JapaneseBhoys | #COYBIG ? pic.twitter.com/qXkxJCHdnT
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 2, 2022
? ?????? 2??1??
Welcome to the House of G?u?c?c?i? Guchi ?#JapaneseBhoys ?? @CelticFCJPN
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 2, 2022
When I was in Japan, I watched his team and I was interested in the style, so I’m excited to be able to join his team. I’ve spoken to the manager and he said that he’s looking for me bring my style of play to the team.
It certainly helps me in joining Celtic to have Daizen and Reo here are well, and I’m hoping to contribute to the team along with them.
With Maeda and Guchi in the building there will be a freshness around first team training this week when Ange Postecoglou reassembles his squad.
Injury news, and hamstrings in particular will be something of a focal point but in midfield the additions of Guchi and Reo Hatate give the hoops boss the sort of options that he was missing in the first half of the season.
James McCarthy was the only summer addition to that area of the team while Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie moved on. If Guchi can replicate the initial impact that Ntcham made in the number 21 shirt there won’t be any complaints or comparisons to his Leeds days.
If nothing else ,the work rate and endeavour of these Japanese bhoys make for a very exciting time ahead,it must be the culture in Japan to give everything you can to your profession no matter what that may be ,I recall kyogo picking up litter as he left the field of play, when have we ever seen the likes of this ,it must be in these guys mentality.brillant signings.