As Japanese soccer fans prepared to ring in the new year on Friday night, the festivities began early with a volley of signings by Celtic that lit up the night sky all the way from Scotland like green-tinted fireworks.
The first: Yokohama F. Marinos striker Daizen Maeda, the J. League’s joint-top scorer last season and one of its most charismatic talents.
The second: Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Reo Hatate, who represented Japan alongside Maeda at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics and secured his first Best XI selection in the league.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.