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By JOHN MCGARRY Published: 00: 04 AEDT, 13 February 2026 | Updated: 00: 18 AEDT, 13 February 2026 View comments Martin O'Neill has urged Reo Hatate to forget about a move away from Celtic - and try to rediscover the form that made him a transfer target. Celtic conceded what could have been a costly penalty when Hatate felled Robbie Muirhead with the incident proving to be the start of a difficult night for the Japanese midfielder. Thankfully for Celtic, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain entered the fray to secure a late 2-1 victory after Muirhead had cancelled out Marcelo Saracchi's opening goal. Hatate has struggled for form since being linked with a summer move to Udinese, his needless red card against Bologna last month putting his team-matches under immense pressure. Amid suggestions that clubs in Brazil could yet offer the player a move, O’Neill urged him to knuckle down between now and the end of the season. 'I think players go through this over the course of a season, ’ said the Northern Irishman. Martin O'Neill has told Reo Hatate to focus on rediscovering his form at Celtic ‘I know you can’t live in past glories, but Reo was one of the top players in the SPFL about a season and a half ago. 'He just has to try and regain that sort of form again. ‘The window’s gone - or I thought it had gone - and that’s it until the summertime. 'I think I mentioned the German side (Wolfsburg) were supposed to be interested in (Daizen) Maeda. 'That probably plays in your mind for a while, but he got down to it. Everybody in the transfer window thinks, “Oh, I can go here, ” and then when the first or second of February comes and it’s not happening, you just have to settle down again. ‘There is loads to play for, for them personally as much as playing for us. ’
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