Celtic boss Ange Postecogolou says there was “no doubt” in his mind that Kyogo Furuhashi would be a success in Scotland.

The Japanese international made the £4.6m switch from J League side Vissel Kobe at the start of last season and, despite being untested outside his own country, Postecoglou was convinced that he would perform well:

“Kyogo was my banker, I had no doubt he would be successful. His debut against Hearts he literally walked into the meal at lunchtime where he met the boys and then he met the boys. Once he was up and running, I knew he would excite the fans and be a good footballer for us.”

Kyogo has been a revelation since moving to the Hoops. The 28-year-old has now racked up 46 goals in 71 appearances for the Scottish champions and there are likely to be plenty more to come.

Despite his excellent form, though, he has continued to be snubbed at international level. The forward has not been picked by Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu for the friendlies against Uruguay and Colombia later this month.

Moriyasu has cited concerns about the weakness of the Scottish Premiership but, if Kyogo continues to fire in the goals, he can’t be ignored for much longer.