Reo Hatate singles out two Celtic teammates as he hypes pair up to Japanese media

Reo Hatate has singled out two Celtic teammates as he waxed lyrical about the talents of the pair.

The Hoops midfielder has given an interview to Japanese outlet Sportiva and has sung the praises of his midfield pals - captain Callum McGregor and the in-demand Matt O'Riley. The trio didn't get to play together as much as they'd have liked last season due to injuries to Hatate and McGregor, but when they do it's enough to strike fear into other Scottish Premiership sides.

The Japanese star has himself earned rave reviews since he's been in this country and is a vital part of the Celts midfield and team. But he's the one raving about the other parts of the triumvirate, saying he came to realise they were going to be an electric combination.

He said: "Callum McGregor always runs for the team, works hard in defence, can carry the ball smoothly in attack, and can hit good shots. And Matt O'Riley is tall and left-footed, can pass the ball well and score goals. I gradually realised our combination was starting to go well. Anyway, O'Riley is a really fantastic player."

The 26-year-old was one of the players who thrived under previous boss Ange Postecoglou and maybe not initially under Brendan Rodgers. But as the season went on, he seemed to get more used to things and improved, and admits he started to get to grips with what the new boss wanted.

He added: "Brendan Rodgers presented to our team what he wanted to do while maintaining parts of things that we have been doing well until last season. We certainly suffered early this season, but I gradually began to understand what he wanted to do for our team."