SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR CELTIC’S STAR MAN KYOGO
FURUHASHI ONE OF THE BEST I’VE PLAYED WITH, RECKONS McGREGOR AFTER STRIKER’S LATEST OLD FIRM EXPLOITS
RUTHLESS, special and, if he hangs around long enough, destined for legendary status.
That was the Celtic captain’s verdict on Kyogo Furuhashi after the Japanese striker scored his fifth derby goal in three games to effectively end Rangers’ title challenge at Parkhead.
Callum McGregor has played with a series of potent strikers at Parkhead. Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths all racked up big numbers in Hoops but the midfielder suspects Kyogo might just top the lot.
Now on 28 goals for the season, the forward would appear a clear favourite to claim Scotland’s player of the year awards and yesterday’s two-goal turn was the sort of contribution that ends up in the end-of-season showreels.
His late equaliser at Ibrox in January will be in there too. As will the two-goal turn that settled the League Cup final meeting of these teams in February.
‘I would say he’s up there with the best I’ve played with and he’s doing it on a consistent basis as well, it’s not just a one-off. In the big moments he steps up.
‘When you have someone like that
at the top end of the pitch,
He’s a special talent and only time will tell what he can achieve
you know he’s going to stick even half-chances away. That’s the difference between good strikers and great strikers and he’s one of the very best.
‘He did it in the cup final, two more today and his level of finishing is outstanding in both goals.
‘He’s certainly a special talent and only time will tell what he goes on to achieve. While we’ve got him we celebrate him as much as we possibly can.
‘Our job is to look after him, keep him fit, healthy and enjoying his football. He’s a really special player and we are delighted to have him.’
That ‘while we’ve got him’ remark might alarm Celtic fans.
Certainly his manager Ange Postecoglou was wary of talking up his star striker too much in case he draws extra attention to a player whose market value is now surely far in excess of the £4 million paid back in the early days of his tenure in 2021.
Himself recruited from J League side Yokohama F Marinos, Postecoglou went back to Japan to make Kyogo his marquee signing from Vissel Kobe, convinced he had the X factor that would make him a potent player for his Parkhead project.
‘He was the first one I wanted here,’ said Postecoglou after the 3-2 victory. ‘He didn’t arrive first but I wanted to make sure we brought him because I’d experienced him first-hand in Japan as an opponent. I didn’t enjoy that.
‘I knew what he’d bring, not just as a player but as a person.
‘The positive thing is that people don’t pump him up too much. If they do, other people might notice.
‘So he’s struggling at times — but he’s alright…’
At 28, Kyogo’s timeframe for advancing to a bigger league — should that indeed be his career aim — would appear to be narrowing.
And there would seem to be little in his body language to suggest he covets a move away. Euphoric after scoring both goals, Kyogo led the Celtic players in customary fashion at the end as he danced a jig in front of the Celtic support.
‘I’ve said it a few times, from the moment this guy arrived he has been outstanding,’ continued Postecoglou (right). ‘He gives everything and in every game he plays, he’s a threat.
‘If he doesn’t score a goal, he works so hard for the team. He delivers in the big games.
‘There’s not much of him out there and he’s up against big strong defenders who get very physical with him at times because of his nature and the way he is.
‘But make no mistake, he’s a winner. I’ve seen it first hand.
‘He wants that responsibility to rise to the occasion. He wants to be the person who delivers and he did it again today.’
McGregor also referenced that merciless streak present in the personality of his team’s smiling assassin.
He added: ‘You don’t get to this level without having a ruthless streak. He’s a special player and in the big moments he stands up, so that tells you what his personality is like.
‘He’s not here to joke about and have fun — he’s here to win things and he’s a serious footballer.
‘Guys like Kyogo have that football intelligence, it’s just eye contact, you see his runs and movements and over time it becomes second nature and you know where people are on the pitch. Even if the language barrier can be there at times, you rely on that football connection.’
Celtic’s smiles were hard-earned. A more robust performance from Rangers made this derby more fiery than some recent affairs, with McGregor himself drawn into a spat or two.
One, in which he faced off with Nicolas Raskin, ended with both players being shown a yellow card.
Another saw him bounce up and offer a cheeky pat on the head following a crunching challenge from his sometime Scotland team-mate John Souttar.
‘It was a competitive game, probably the first one for a while in terms of big tackles and things like that.
‘You don’t think too much in the moment, you just throw yourself into tackles and hope to win the ball. The atmosphere was absolutely special and that can take you to a different place and make you a yard sharper.
‘We don’t want to be onedimensional. We have different ways of winning games and a special character and commitment to the group and each other.
‘Even in the difficult times more often than not we have found a way to deal with things and be successful.
‘To win any derby is massive especially here at home. The task is to send the supporters and the millions watching around the world home happy and it’s job done.’