Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips has backed some previous comments made by Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou which have since gone viral on social media.
The Lowdown: Ange’s comments
Celtic made three signings from the J1 League in January, with Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi all making the move to Scotland.
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Hatate has arguably been the standout of the three so far, contributing to six goals from midfield, whereas Maeda has scored twice and Ideguchi has made two appearances.
Last month, Postecoglou had this to say in reply when discussing the trio and Kyogo Furuhashi.
“We have to be careful about just saying ‘four Japanese players’.
“These are four individuals, they are totally different people. If you ever get the chance to meet them you will see they are totally different people, totally different kinds of players. It is lazy for all of us to say I have just brought in four Japanese. I have brought in four quality players, players who I think can add to what I am doing here.”
Postecoglou continued:
“I get it because it seems like people who come from the same place are all the same. But I have run into all kinds of different Scots since I have been here, mate.”
The Latest: Instagram post
Social media giants SPORTbible decided to share Postecoglou’s comments on Instagram earlier in the week.
Their post received a whopping 70,000 likes, with Leeds midfielder Phillips among them, backing the Hoops boss’ comments on his January arrivals.
Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique also responded with five clapping emojis, as Postecoglou’s comments have garnered quite the reaction within the footballing world.
The Verdict: Spot on
It’s fair to say the boss has earned fans’ respect with how he handles the media, and Postecoglou’s comments were once again absolutely right when discussing his January trio – it’s good to see that they received such a positive reaction online too.
The Hoops boss already had knowledge of the league following his time in charge of Yokohama F Marinos, and he has used that to his benefit by signing the three as well as Kyogo in the summer – it’s hardly a surprise that all four signings look to have hit the ground running.
It’s good to see that the Celtic fans have got right behind the club’s recruitment, and hopefully, all four will go on to become legends at Parkhead over the coming years in a successful Postecoglou side, laying waste to lazy generalisations along the way.
In other news: Ange may be without ‘excellent’ Celtic ace this weekend as reporter relays news.