Japanese in Europe 2021-22: Part 3 – England and Scotland | football in japan

see also:
Part 1 – Germany
Part 2 – Belgium

Takumi Minamino (Liverpool)

Midfielder/forward, 27 years old (16/01/1995) – seasons in Europe: 8

Minamino is far from being one of the best players in the world, but if we talk about “the best reserve in the world”, he is probably a strong candidate. After all, few players with “absolute reserve” status make good use of their limited time on the field. All competitions added up, former Cerezo Osaka has scored ten goals in 1,008 minutes this season – an average of roughly one every 90 minutes. He was Liverpool’s top scorer in both the National Cup and lifted the cup in both, but he did not play in either final. In the Premier League, he only started once. And he scored an important goal, in the penultimate round, helping the Reds stay in the title race until the last minute. In the Champions League, the frustration remained that no knockout matches were played and that you watched the final again from the bench. He repeated the achievement of Takashi Usami, who was on the bench for Bayern Munich in the 2012 decision. It can be said that it was a good year due to the titles and usage, but it was not very satisfactory due to most matches like reserve or even those associated with it.

English Championship: 11 matches (1 player), 3 goals – runner-up
League Cup: 5 matches (4 as starters), 4 goals, 1 assist – Champion
FA cup: 4 matches (2 as a player), 3 goals – the champion
Champions League: 4 matches (2 start) – Runners-up
the total: 24 matches (9 as a starter), 10 goals, 1 pass
check case: Owner
Season review: reasonable

Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)

23-year-old defender (05/11/1998) – seasons in Europe: 5

Signed from Bologna for €20 million, Tomiyasu arrived at Arsenal in September 2021 already as a start on the right-hand side and with good successive performances. He was even voted Man of the Match by the fans in their 3-1 London derby win over Tottenham in their third match. Arsenal started their Premier League campaign with three consecutive defeats, but were unbeaten for eight rounds after the arrival of Japan. In the games he played, the success rate was 65%. Without it, it’s down to 55%. The average goals conceded was also higher in matches he did not play (from 1.14 to 1.41). Excellent in the air, he has been Arsenal’s best defensive player this season, even without playing as a quarterback, his original position. He started two games as a left-back and all the others are on the right. Sadly, he spent nearly a semester in the medical department mainly due to a calf injury, but was also absent due to COVID-19 and muscle strain.

English Championship: 21 games (20 start), 1 assist – 5th place
League Cup: 1 match (start) – semi-finals
FA cup: Did not play – third stage
the total: 22 games (21 start), 1 pass
check case: absolute owner
Season review: Great

Striker, 27 years old (20/01/1995) – seasons in Europe: 1

Those who knew him from Visel Kobe already knew that much could be expected of him at Celtic, as he arrived in July 2021, was appointed by the new coach Anzhi Postecoglou and on a four-year contract (Vissel received 5.4 million euros for the transfer), but Furuhashi, who became Known only as Kyogo in Scotland, he exceeded expectations and performed so well that he has been compared to idol Shunsuke Nakamura. The attacker’s effect was immediate. He scored his first in the Europa League, then scored a hat-trick in the league against Dundee FC on his debut at Celtic Park. In the first half alone, there were 16 goals in all competitions, including the League Cup goal (voted as the team’s best goal of the season). However, in December, he suffered a muscle injury that left him out of bed until April. There was still plenty of time to come back and score another four goals in the Premier League Finals, and contribute another title. Furuhashi was elected to the PFA (Professional Players’ Association of Scotland) season selection.

Scottish Championship (regular season): 15 matches (12 starts), 8 goals, 1 pass – 1st place
Scottish Championship (final stage): 5 matches (4 as main), 4 goals – the champion
League Cup: 3 matches (3 as a player), 3 goals – the champion
FA cup: One match – semi-finals
Champions League: Did not play – second preliminary round
European League: 9 matches (8 starts), 5 goals, 3 assists – group stage
Conference League: Not played – Qualifiers Finals
the total: 33 games (27 starts), 20 goals, 2 assists
check case: Title dispute
Season review: Great

Striker, 24 (10/20/1997) – seasons in Europe: 2

After a stint in Portugal with Maritimo in the 2019-20 season, he got another chance in Europe when he was the star player for Yokohama F Marinos and the 2021 J.League scorer. He arrived at Celtic on loan and was quick. Conquer the crowd of hoops. He scored on his debut, just four minutes into the match. With his speed and energy to press the front line and opportunistic in the small area, he was a regular player from the start, playing as a striker or in the center of the left winger, scoring goals in all the competitions he played and also drawing attention. His ceremonies imitate the figure of Anpanman. This month, Celtic bought him outright for 1.5 million euros and the striker signed a four-year contract.

Scottish Championship (regular season): 11 matches (10 as a starter), 5 goals, 1 pass
Scottish Championship (final stage): 5 matches (4 start), 1 goal, 4 assists
FA cup: 4 matches (4 start) 1 goal
Conference League: 2 matches (2 start) 1 goal
the total: 22 matches (20 as a starter), 8 goals, 5 assists
check case: sometimes summoned
Season review: Great

24-year-old midfielder (11/11/1997) – seasons in Europe: 1

A highlight of J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale in 2020 and 2021, Khatat joined the Bhoys in January of this year, signing a contract for 1.5 million euros. The Japanese signed up to May 2026. Like Furhashi and Maeda, it didn’t take long to gain audiences. In the first match, against Hibernian, he was elected the best on the field. In the second against Hearts scored a goal from outside the area. In the fourth game, he was already enshrined by being the winning champion in his first old team with two goals from outside the box and an assist – and not even Nakamura managed to shine the first time he faced Rangers. Hate became an absolute fixture and one of the most important elements of the team right from the start. A primarily dedicated player to the team, he also excels in passing, vision of the game, movement and mid-range shots. Practically a full sock. The announcement of his signature sparked some controversy because he described him as a “useful player” because of his versatility in playing in the middle of the field, on the wing or even on the left side. However, Postecoglou already knew him well and knew how to get the best of him, so he only chose him as the third man in midfield in the 4-3-3 formation, in what was already his main role at Frontale. Now it is also necessary to have space in the selection.

Scottish Championship (regular season): 13 matches (12 as a starter), 4 goals, 2 assists
Scottish Championship (final stage): 4 games (4 to start)
FA cup: 3 games (3 to start)
Conference League: 1 game
the total: 21 games (19 starts), 4 goals, 2 assists
check case: It was first called in March of this year
Season review: Great

Steering wheel, 25 years old (23/08/1996) – Seasons in Europe: 3

Amidst Celtic’s “J-League package” in January of this year, almost no one understood what Edeguchi was doing there. He was once such a promise, he was chosen to unveil J1 and a key in the final stage of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, but he was not quite what it was after his first frustrating adventure in European football. Even in the J-League, his performance dropped a lot and he was coming off an unsatisfactory 2021 season. But Celtic paid about 760 thousand euros to Gamba Osaka to sign the midfielder until June 2026. At the beginning, he only made up the team. He only started in one cup match and played just 134 minutes in that first half in Glasgow.