HE downed tools to get out of Celtic.
Worked his ticket because he was so desperate to play somewhere else.
Since then Kyogo Furuhashi has been nothing short of a failure at both Rennes and Birmingham City.
If the Japanese striker returns to Scottish football he should walk through the front door at Lennoxtown with his tail between his legs.
But here’s the bottom line when it comes to the wee man….
He’ll give Martin O’Neill and Celtic a monumental boost in the title race.
Kyogo may have pushed for a move away from the club under Brendan Rodgers.
Maybe that was partly down to the fact the Brodge didn’t rate him as much as the striker rated himself.
I’m also led to believe the happy-go-lucky image everyone has of Kyogo is nothing like the way he really is behind closed doors.
There was also the amount of Euros he was set to earn by moving to France that would have attracted his attention.
Nothing wrong with that.
Just like Celtic were absolutely right to cash in on a 29-year-old who clearly didn’t want to pull on that green and white jersey any longer.
It made sense to sell him to the highest bidder.
The fact Kyogo has fallen flat on his face hasn’t gone unnoticed though.
No sooner had he started to play in France it was clear he was in a much tougher league.
That led to a move to the Midlands.
People talk about my scoring record in the English Championship but he would have snatched my hand off for my 12 goals in 37 appearances.
But the fact is Celtic are in the market for a striker and I see this deal as one that suits everyone involved down to the ground.
Okay, maybe he’s got some making up to do with a section of the Celtic support.
It seems some fans have had a negative reaction to the story, which was broken by SunSport on Thursday morning.
Maybe that’s just a symptom of the disconnect between the fanbase the the board right now.
Some of the criticism is legitimate too, let’s be clear.
We’ve been hearing for a long time about how Celtic are the best in class when it comes to every aspect of football. Really?
When it’s come to their recruitment they’ve got a nasty habit of turning the clock back rather than looking forward.
Kieran Tierney? Jota? Now Kyogo.
It’s been the same with managers down the years.
Neil Lennon was brought back to help sort things out having been there before.
They did the same with Rodgers.
Now O’Neill has been the man they’ve turned to when Wilfried Nancy was shown the door.
It has been desperation and that sums up the club right now, although Dermot Desmond will point to their silverware since O’Neill first arrived in 2000.
What happened to all the talk of Celtic becoming a force in Europe?
Because if anything has been proven these past few weeks it’s that there’s nothing the club wants more than to be successful domestically.
That’s the be-all and end-all.
Regardless of what anyone connected to the club will try and have to believe.
Kyogo’s career
Breakthrough in Japan (2017-2018)
Kyogo began his professional journey with FC Gifu in the J2 League. Initially a winger, he was moved to a striker role by coach Takeshi Oki. This tactical shift proved transformative, as his goal-scoring form quickly earned him a move to the top-flight J1 League.
Success at Vissel Kobe (2018-2021)
At Vissel Kobe, Kyogo developed into one of Japan’s most dangerous forwards, often linking up with legendary midfielder Andrés Iniesta. During this period, he won the Emperor’s Cup (2019) and the Japanese Super Cup (2020). By the time he left for Europe in 2021, he was the top scorer in the J-League.
Iconic status at Celtic (2021-2025)
Kyogo became a Celtic legend under Ange Postecoglou.
Over three and a half seasons, he scored 85 goals in 165 appearances, including numerous match-winners in Old Firm derbies against Rangers.
He was pivotal in winning four Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish League Cups and two Scottish Cups.
Move to Europe’s Top Five Leagues and Birmingham
In January 2025, Kyogo moved to the French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais for £10 million. Following a short stint in France, he signed a three-year contract with Birmingham City in July 2025, has struggled for form and now looks set for a sensational Parkhead return.
Competing against the best teams abroad is a pipe dream.
The No1 priority for the club is being better than Rangers.
Hearts are also in that conversation now having had a sensational first half of the season and they show no signs of going away.
They’ll strengthen in the transfer market this month too with Derek McInnes already making some important signings.
The potential loss of Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling to injury at Ibrox is another blow for my old club.
Although, Danny Rohl is about to spend £7m on Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani.
With Celtic, though, there has to be a number of new arrivals between now the window closing.
They have signed a right-back on loan from Bournemouth but that struck me as a deal to show they were backing manager Nancy.
I believe that’s what they were intending to do too, right up until it became so obvious that a change had to be made.
By all accounts they were telling anyone who’d listen at half-time during last weekend’s Old Firm clash that Nancy wasn’t in danger of the sack.
Maybe they were just trying to convince themselves.
They now have a manager, though, who has been over the course and distance before and that, for me, gives them a much better chance of retaining their title.
And bringing in someone like Kyogo certainly isn’t going to do their chances any harm.
If he returns, he doesn’t need to apologise to anyone for the way he pushed for a move and left a year ago.
That’s just football at the end of the day.
But I suspect he may be a little bit more humble than he was first time around.
I’d back him to get 15 goals between now and the end of the season and that could be the difference between winning the league and finishing in second or even third spot.
So it’s a no brainer for all involved.
Will it get him back into contention for a place in the Japan World Cup squad? No, for me that’s still not going to happen.
Kyogo will still score goals in Scotland even if he’s been off form for the last year.
But it takes really top strikers to hit the net in that English Championship.
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