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Fullname: Yosuke Ideguchi
aka: Ideguchi Yosuke, Yōsuke Ideguchi, Ideguchi Yōsuke, Guchi
Born: 23 August 1996
Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan
Signed: 1 January 2022 (from Gamba Osaka)
Loan (out): February 2023 (1 year loan out to Avispa Fukuoka for 2023)
Left: 9 January 2024 (to Vissel Kobe for est £1m)
Position: Central Midfielder
Debut: Celtic 2-0 Hibernian, League, 17 Jan 2022
Squad No.: 21
Internationals: Japan
International Caps: 15 [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: 2 [TBC at end of career]
Biog
‘Guchi’ arrived as part of the trio of Japanese players in January 2022 who were to assist in Ange Postecoglou’s squad building, bolstered by the recent success of Kyogo.
Unlike his compatriots at Celtic, he’d previously played in Europe with unsuccessful spells with Leeds down south, in Spain (loan) and Germany (loan). Injuries cursed his time in Spain. He returned to Japan to reboot his career. This chance at Celtic was a second opportunity to prove any doubters wrong, but it wasn’t to be.
He made his debut coming on as a sub v Hibernian in 2-0 win in January 2022, but was overshadowed by his two Japanese colleagues (Hatate & Maeda) who stole the show on their debuts that day too. A trio of Japanese debuts.
Whilst his Japanese colleagues all had blistering starts to their time at Celtic, Ideguchi had to be more patient for his opportunities. It was difficult for the manager to break up or change what was a winning side on its way to the league title.
In only his first start with Celtic, he was shown upfront the oft-punishing nature of the Scottish game, when in a Scottish Cup match, Alloa’s M’Baye Niang flying into a challengeand studded Ideguchi’s ankle that resulted in Ideghuchi having to limp off the field, a casualty of a bruising encounter. Celtic Captain Callum McGregor ended up with a serious facial injury from another challenge in the same game which put him out the game for a number of weeks.
Despite strong words in the summer about making a go of it at Celtic into the 2022/23 season, it all came to nothing. He was repeatedly lost to injuries which hindered his opportunities, and as time moved on he became sidelined by
A very poor performance in the Sydney Cup friendly match v Sydney City FC in Australia likely ended all hopes for his chances at Celtic. The manager had been patient. The sad irony for him was that at the same time, an incredible performance in the World Cup in Qatar (2022) by the Japan squad (with Celtic teammate Maeda a key player in victories over Spain & Germany) meant that Japanese football’s global reputation was at a high. Yet, he was unfortunately struggling to even get noticed.
The Celtic squad was bloated with midfielders, so it was hard to see how Celtic could now adapt to accommodate him. The arrival of fellow countryman Iwata signalled the end, but he wasn’t the only midfielder to be cut. After the poor Champions League performance in the group stages in 2022/23, it was clear that the manager was attempting to further raise the standards to meet his requirements.
He was sent on loan for 2023 to his hometown team of Avispa Fukuoka with the J-League about to start (season is in an annual format) which effectively was to end his chances at Celtic.
Celtic never lost a game he played in, with the aforemetioned Alloa match being the only one in which a goal was conceded. A proud record but sadly, his time at Celtic was not to succeed. He never even got to play in a single competitive match with the first team in season 2022/23.
He was to be to that point a rarity, a handpicked Postecoglu transfer that didn’t work out. All others from the first batch brought in by Postecoglu from the Far East leagues had made the transition successfully. A sore blow for the player as it was now his second failed stint in the European leagues.
Post-Celtic
Soon after his transfer, in March 2023, Yosuke Ideguchi, whilst on loan at Avispa Fukuoka, was to be ruled out for three months with a broken ankle. It was further frustrating luck for the player.
However, he was to turn things around, and helped Avispa Fukuoka to finish a best-ever seventh in Japan’s top flight, earning him a J-League player of the year (MVP) nomination.
Maybe at heart, he was just a homeboy, and the Japanese league was where he was best suited. Reputedly, originally, Guchi was amongst the highest rated of his generation in Japan, and even stood out compared to Kyogo, Maeda, Hatate and Iwata, and was also a young hero of the Japanese national team.
Settled back in his home country, it was inevitable that he would leave Celtic, and duly signed for Vissel Kove for an estimated £1m. It suited all sides.
We wished him the best.
Quotes
“I am fit, I have been in full training for a long time. I am ready to play in a full game with my new club. I’m not going to look back at Celtic with any regrets, but I can’t honestly say it was a success. Even when I wasn’t playing I made sure I gave everything in training. I believe I improved as a player at Celtic and I am stronger for my time there. I still have the ambition to play for Japan. I have suffered disappointment before when I missed the cut for the 2018 World Cup, but I cheered for them like everyone else in Qatar. I’ve had a brilliant reception from everyone at Avispa since I came here on loan and I can’t wait to get started in the league.”
Ideguchi (Feb 2023)
“I’II never forget my memories of Glasgow. Thank you for all of you. I’m cheering you on from Japan. Thank you.”
Ideguchi (2024)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
Scottish League
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Notes
- The standard in the Far East is for the surname to come first, so note you may see in various reports his name written as Ideguchi Yosuke, but in Europe it is formally put as Yosuke Ideguchi. Ideguchi is his surname.
Articles
Celtic delighted to welcome three new signings
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2021/december/31/celtic-delighted-to-welcome-three-new-signings/
Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of three exciting new players from the Japanese J League.
Daizen Maeda from Yokohama F. Marinos, Yosuke Ideguchi from Gamba Osaka and Reo Hatate from Kawasaki Frontale will all be registered with Celtic in early January, subject to the usual conditions and international clearance.
DAIZEN MAEDA
The 24-year-old forward is reuniting with Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, having previously played under the manager at Yokohama F. Marinos. He had originally joined Yokohama F. Marinos on loan in August 2020 following a previous loan spell with Maritimo in the Portuguese league, and by the end of the season had impressed Ange Postecoglou enough that the deal became a permanent one. And in the 2021 season, Daizen Maeda was joint top scorer in the J-League with 23 goals as Yokohama F. Marinos finished second and qualified for the AFC Champions League. He was also named in the J-League Best XI of the 2021 season and has been capped twice for the Japan national side. Daizen will join Celtic initially on loan but with a compulsory purchase clause included, meaning he will be with Celtic on a permanent basis from the summer on a long-term deal.
YOSUKE IDEGUCHI
The 25-year-old midfielder began his career with Gamba Osaka, having come through their youth academy, and made his first-team debut in 2014. He spent a further four years with the club, winning the prestigious J-League ‘Rookie of the Year’ award in 2016, and it is from the same club that he joins Celtic, having re-signed for them back in 2019. In the intervening period, Yosuke Udeguchi joined Leeds United, before going out on loan, first to Cultural Leonesa in Spain and then Greuther Fürth in Germany. Yosuke Ideguchi has also been capped 15 times for Japan, scoring two goals for his country. He joins Celtic Football club on a four and a half year contract
REO HATATE
The versatile 24-year-old, who can play in a number of position, joins Celtic from Kawasaki Frontale, having helped them win the J-League for the second successive year. He was also named in the J-League Best XI of the 2021 season alongside his new Celtic team-mate, Daizen Maeda. Reo Hatate was also selected to represent Japan at the recent Olympic Games, held in the summer in Japan. And he helped his country reach the last four of the tournament, though they lost out in the bronze medal match to Mexico. Reo will also be joining Celtic on a 4 and a half year contract.
It is hoped all players will be joining up with the Celtic squad across the next few days.
A delighted Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou, said: “We are really pleased to bring in these guys to Celtic and I think they are players who will excite our fans.
“I think in bringing all three to the club we are bringing even more quality, personality and energy to the squad to work with the players who have done so well for us already this season.”
“Clearly I am well aware of their attributes and I think in bringing all three to the club we are bringing even more quality, personality and energy to the squad to work with the players who have done so well for us already this season.
“They are all really at the peak of their careers, ambitious to achieve more success and I am sure at this particular time we will be getting their best years. I am delighted to have secured these players so early in the transfer window, I look forward to working with them and myself, my backroom team and the rest of the squad will be making sure we help them settle into Celtic as quickly as possible.”
Everyone at Celtic joins Ange in welcoming these new players to the Club.
Guchi aiming to bring even more style to Celtic’s midfield
By Paul Cuddihy, Celtic View Editor
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2022/january/02/guchi-bringing-even-more-style-to-celtic-s-midfield/
New Celtic signing, Yosuke Ideguchi wants to be known as ‘Guchi’, and the 25-year-old, who has joined the club from Gamga Osaka on a four-and-half-year contract, is hoping to add further style to an already eye-catching Hoops midfield.
He is one of three players who have joined the club at the start of the January transfer window, along with Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, taking the club’s Japanese contingent to four, with Kyogo Furuhashi having signed back in July.
And Guchi is honoured to be joining a big club like Celtic, with its long and illustrious history, and the prospect of working under Ange Postecoglou.
The new Celtic player said: “When I was in Japan, I watched his team and I was interested in the style, so I’m excited to be able to join his team.
“I’ve spoken to the manager and he said that he’s looking for me bring my style of play to the team.
‘It certainly helps me in joining Celtic to have Daizen and Reo here are well, and I’m hoping to contribute to the team along with them.’
And Guchi, who has been capped 15 times by Japan, was also full of praise for the way that Kyogo has performed for the Hoops this season.
“Kyogo is already contributing to the team,” he said, “so, like Kyogo, I want to be able to contribute to the team, although our playing styles are different.
“How Kyogo is playing is already big news in Japan. I respect him and I’m really looking forward to playing with him, along with my other team-mates.”
“Celtic’s football is very aggressive,” Yosuke Ideguchi
https://thecelticstar.com/celtics-football-is-very-aggressive-yosuke-ideguchi/
By Lubo98 26 June, 2022
Celtic’s three signings from the J-League, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi all arrived with amid much excitement following in the footsteps of trailblazer Kyogo who signed for Celtic last July.
It’s fair to say that three of these J-League signings made a significant contribution to Celtic’s successful campaign whereas one had to endure a frustrating start to his time as a Celtic player, suffering a bad injury at Alloa in the Scottish Cup at the end of January.
A number of substitute appearances have been about the extent of Ideguchi’s Celtic story so far but the 25 year old midfielder has ever intention of putting that right in the new season to justify the trust placed in him by Ange Postecoglou who had selected all four players based on the immediate impact he know they could bring to the Celtic team he was building.
The midfielder, while back home in Japan has spoken to Japanese media outlet Sports Graphic Number Web about all that’s happened so far in his second spell playing in European football and his determination to follow Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate in making a real name for themselves in a Celtic jersey.
“I had always wanted to go abroad again. When Celtic contacted me last fall, I made an immediate decision. The last time I was abroad for a year and a half, I only felt frustrated. I was determined to see how much I could do. I have a strong desire to make up for it.
“I was out of action for almost six months in Leon, which was tough. After that I had some injuries, so I went back to Japan in a way that wasn’t ideal for me. This will be my second attempt (in Europe) at Celtic.
“I am absolutely determined to get a result. Here at Celtic, it is easy to blend in as a club, and above all, there is a lot of respect for Japanese players because (Kyogo) Furuhashi has achieved results before me.
“Reo (Hatate) is also in the same position. Having a Japanese player in the team makes it easier, but it is also a limited position. I think it’s great that Reo got results first, but of course it’s frustrating (not playing).
“In order to secure a permanent position here, I have to show my play and features more fully. Celtic’s football is very aggressive, so if I were to show my strengths, it would be in switching between offense and defense.
“I hope I can make the switch from defence to attack and from attack to defence. There are many offensive players in midfield, so I hope to bring out my strengths which are different from those.”