Kyogo Furuhashi has become a talismanic presence for Celtic over the last two years. Top scorer in both campaigns, his match-winning doubles in both League Cup finals will live long in the memory of Celtic fans who instantly took this Japanese international into their hearts.
His personal achievements are mounting up this season, having been named as Scotland’s player of the year by his fellow professionals. But he is also just one goal away from entering an elite list of just four Celts in the last 20 years who have scored 32 or more goals for Celtic in a single season.
Can Kyogo become the fifth member of this exclusive list? With 31 goals in 47 appearances so far – and with three games to go – it would be foolish to bet against him.
It has been a season of goals, goals and more goals for the Glasgow club, with Furuhashi at the heart of that entertaining style of football so loved by the Celtic faithful.
The striker has scored more goals in his time in Glasgow than in his four seasons at former club Vissel Kobe, and here are the other Celts he is hoping to emulate:
Henrik Larsson
Season: 2000/01 // Games: 50 // Goals: 53
There is absolutely no way I can do The King of Kings justice, no matter which words I choose to add to this article. The man was a genuinely world class footballer.
Larsson’s 53 goal season was a new record for a single season.
53 goals in a season for any club in the world is absolutely magnificent, but to have someone doing that in our league, and more importantly at our club… Well, that is just the stuff of dreams.
With Larsson leading the line, scoring goals for fun, Celtic went on to win the treble, finishing 15 points above Rangers.
Larsson scored 35 league goals that season, whereas Rangers’ £12m man Tore Andre Flo grabbed 11.
Kris Commons
Season: 2013/14 // Games: 48 // Goals: 32
Kris Commons spent seven years at the club, but 2013/14 was by far the midfielder’s best.
Commons finished the campaign with 32 goals, an unbelievable feat for an attacking midfielder. Strikers around the world would bite your hand off for 30+ goals.
The league was falling apart, with Hibs and Hearts both getting relegated, and Rangers gone, there wasn’t the usual competition for Celtic, but take nothing away from the midfielder, it truly was an amazing season for him.
Commons’ incredible season did not go unnoticed. The Celtic star was named in Europe’s top 25 in UEFA’s Best Player.
He was also awarded PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year that season too.
Leigh Griffiths
Season: 2015/16 // Games: 51 // Goals: 40
The 2015/16 campaign saw Leigh Griffiths at the peak of his powers. He looked to be maturing, ridding his game and outside life of the stupidity that had hitherto plagued his career.
Celtic manager Ronny Deila was not having the best of times in what was his second and final season in Glasgow. Aberdeen pressed Celtic for a long time and at one point looked as though they could take advantage of Celtic’s weaknesses in the run-in.
Celtic would, however, pick things up, and in the end comfortably win the league. Leigh Griffiths had a big part to play in this.
His 31 league goals pulled wins out of nowhere at times. Scoring 40 goals across all competitions was something that Celtic fans hadn’t seen since the iconic Henrik Larsson’s time at the club.
Was ‘Super Leigh Griffiths\ to be the next star of Celtic Park?
Unfortunately not, as the striker would fail to hit 20 goals in the remainder of his time at Celtic and, once again, controversy would lead the Scottish striker into obscurity.
Moussa Dembélé
Season: 2016/17 // Games: 49 // Goals: 32
What a way for the 20-year-old Frenchman to introduce himself to the Celtic support – by banging in 32 goals in his debut season.
Celtic were riding high under Brendan Rodgers, who delivered the first of four consecutive trebles won by the club.
Dembélé rose to every challenge thrown at him this season. Remember being worried when top-scorer Leigh Griffiths was injured for the first Glasgow Derby of the campaign? Enter Dembélé to score the perfect hat-trick, as we trounced Rangers 5-1.
The boy was a bit special.
I have no doubt that Kyogo Furuhashi is going to join this incredible list of players.
The striker picked up the PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year award this season and will be hoping to pick up his fifth trophy with the club in a few weeks as they face Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.
BOBBY GORDON
Dembele and Larsson’s hold more weight than the other two.