Kyogo had by no means performed home soccer exterior of his homeland till Postecoglou tapped into his data as a supervisor in Japan to raid Vissel Kobe and discover a spearhead for his ultra-attacking type.
It was an ideal marriage of techniques and personnel, the Japan worldwide’s medical darting runs and six-yard-box ending complementing lethal wing deliveries from worldwide team-mate Daizen Maeda, Jota, or Liel Abada.
Kyogo was quickly being hailed as Celtic’s greatest striker because the legendary Henrik Larsson as he led the cost in the direction of three league titles, three League Cups and two Scottish Cups.
A few of his 85 objectives have been notably essential, rising to the large event as he netted eight instances in 17 Previous Agency derbies, contributed trophy-winning braces in successive League Cup finals and scored eight instances in 28 appearances in European competitors.
But now embattled Postecoglou’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur – and Rodgers’ arrival – signalled a much less fruitful time individually for Kyogo, who was additionally to fall out of favour at worldwide degree.
From a excessive of 27 league objectives – a median of a aim per recreation – throughout his second season at Celtic Park, his complete dropped to half that in his first season below Rodgers as he tailored to the Northern Irishman’s barely extra pragmatic type.
His 19 objectives that season in all competitions was equalled by a midfielder – Matt O’Riley, later to be bought to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Kygo has discovered the online 10 instances within the Premiership this season and, though that was an improved fee of 0.7 per recreation and his help fee has additionally elevated up to now two seasons, he by no means seemed fairly as efficient, or comfy, below Rodgers.
As former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner informed BBC Scotland: “After Ange Postecoglou, you would see a distinction in the way in which Kyogo responded.
“When he first got here right here, he lit up the place – I’ve not seen many strikers along with his motion. When the change was made, his head went down, you would see the frustration on the pitch.”
Bonner thought Kyogo’s kind returned after “Celtic began to play with a mixture of Ange Postecoglou, extra on the entrance foot, extra passing ahead”.
Nevertheless, it was no shock to be taught final week from Rodgers himself that the 30-year-old had expressed some months in the past his want to maneuver on – and Kyogo defined to Rennes’ web site that he wished to check himself in a extra aggressive European league.
With a transfer within the offing, Kyogo almost completed his Celtic profession with a flourish – three disallowed first-half objectives within the Champions League win over Younger Boys reminding all at Celtic Park what they as soon as had, and didn’t fairly have up to now two years.
