Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v St Johnstone - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - April 9, 2022 Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi reacts REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Ange Postecoglou has opened the door for Haijime Moriyasu to take a close up look at Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Celtic striker was left out of Japan’s World Cup squad in November and snubbed again for the March internationals.
Domestically there seems little more that Kyogo can do but Moriyasu’s comments about Scottish football suggest that the striker’s international exile will continue.
Daizen Maeda seems to be a fixture in the Japanese side but it appears equally unlikely that his club team-mate will be playing at that level any time soon.
Discussing the apparent stand off, Postecoglou told the Daily Record:
Haijime has been here before to visit us and we have had other staff from the Japan national team, too. There have been other coaches visit and I believe Jurgen Klinsmann is planning a trip. There are no issues.
I know Hajime very well from my time over there and I would be happy to see him. We are a very welcoming club for everyone.
With three Glasgow derbies expected over the next six weeks Moriyasu has a variety of options to watch Kyogo and Reo Hatate in action in the toughest domestic challenges.
If that fixture doesn’t tempt him back to Scotland the only option open to Kyogo and Hatate will be to make a big impact in next season’s Champions League.
‘Fraid Hatate does the “National” thing with Japan, happy to be photo’d with the camona and Samurai sword et al.
So, that puts him ahead of others I suppose, in the hunt for a National Team place!