In another life Reo Hatate would have spent his days as a PE teacher. And going into middle-age as a barista still features prominently in his options.

If career choices were ambiguous, there were no signs of mixed messages as the Japanese midfielder schooled Rangers with two goals and an assist against the Ibrox side last month as Celtic moved to the summit of the Premiership table.

His challenge this afternoon will be to repeat the trick.

“The result we got against Rangers that night was great but it wasn’t just about me. We got it as a team,” he said, with some modesty. “It was also down to the coach and my team-mates because everyone did their best.

“But it wasn’t just down to me alone. Was it a life changing moment for me? Well, that depends on me now. It depends on what I do with my career from now on.

“The game against Rangers on Sunday won’t be the same as the last one.

“Personally, all I have to do is work hard for the team and hopefully we get the same result.”

Rangers will have the benefit of their own support at Ibrox as they seek to drown out the small band of 700 Celtic supporters with the encounter entirely different to Hatate’s first taste of the derby.

Ultimately, though, the focus remains the same as Celtic look for a statement result that would solidify their title ambitions.

“We know that each victory we have from now on can lead us to winning at the end of the season,” said Hatate. “But we have to just focus on the next match and see where it takes us.”

The midfielder made his senior debut for Japan last week as he came off the bench while a place in their World Cup squad will be an ambition between now and November. 

 “For me, to play for the national team is a great honour and I felt really proud to do it,” he said. 

“But of course, I would like to have more playing time with Japan. 

“In terms of why I got that opportunity, of course Celtic has played an important part in that. But I’m also thankful to everybody who has helped me in my career so far, like my coaches and team-mates. 

“I couldn’t have imagined I’d achieve this at that moment. I certainly didn’t imagine playing at the Olympic Games but because they were postponed for one year, I got an incredible opportunity. 

“Of course, it was my goal and objective to do well in my career. 

"But I didn’t think I’d play at such a high level, for Celtic and for the national team. 

 “At University, I was studying at the faculty of sports and health science. It was all about the science of the human body, nutrition and everything around that. 

“But I also got a licence to be a physical education teacher.  

“For four years of university, I had to study a lot as well as training hard to try and become a professional football player. It wasn’t easy for me at that time because I had to have a lot of discipline. 

“But it was a great experience for me. 

“I’m not sure if I’ll be a physical education teacher when I stop playing. But I think I will definitely open my own coffee shop!”