Inbound Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi said his goodbyes in Japan as he heads for a flight to link up with his new teammates.
The 22-year-old will officially become a Celtic player on January 1 after penning a five year deal in November, but will have the chance to meet his new teammates when he arrives in Scotland before getting to work at Lennoxtown. He becomes the latest J-League star to join Ange Postecoglou in Glasgow with Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi all treading the same path.
Japan youth cap Kobayashi will bolster the Parkhead defensive ranks as they look to solidify their position at the top of the Scottish Premiership after the international break with a towering nine-point gap over rivals Rangers. And as the players return to training this week ahead of a friendly with Rennes a week on Saturday, Kobayashi is on his way to Glasgow.
A clip shared on Twitter by Vissel Kobe news site Kobe NP shows Kobayashi at the airport getting ready to board his flight. Asked if he was planning to watch his country's game with Spain where they can qualify for the knockout stage, he said: "I want to see it, but maybe I won't be able to see it during the flight."
The Premiership season resumes on the weekend of December 17 with Celtic travelling to face Aberdeen in a tough return to action. The Hoops will be hoping to keep their winning momentum going and may have the chance to stretch their commanding lead depending on how Rangers fare against Hibs two days earlier in Michael Beale's first game.
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