Reo Hatate has opened up on his struggles through a year of almost constant muscle injury problems.
The midfielder turned in a highly impressive performance at Livingston on Sunday in what was just his fifth SPFL start of the season.
Last March Hatate suffered a hamstring problem, at Aberdeen in August it was a calf injury, seven minutes into the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid his hamstring went again followed in January by calf problems cutting short his involvement at the Asian Cup.In his position the 26-year-old comes in for plenty of physical treatment from opponents but none of his injuries were the result of contact from opponents.
The recurring muscle problems have required a complete rethink of his preparations, diet and training regime, in an article with Japanese publisher Sportiva Hatate explained:
I handled my feelings and emotions as I felt them and I spent a lot of time feeling depressed.
However, that doesn’t mean I cut corners in my rehab or that I neglected my daily life. I was doing my best in everything but, to put it simply, I just wasn’t motivated and had no energy.
However, there are people who care about me and who worry about me, including, of course, my family.
My father was concerned about my injury and my mother was also concerned about my condition. They contacted me, which naturally led me to become more positive.
With less than two months of the season to go Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to have Hatate back on a permanent basis- especially if he can maintain the standards set at Livingston on Sunday.
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