TOKYO: Japanese players are moving to English football in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One.

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared to the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer but just saying this or that player is a good player,” he said.

“It feels like there is more interest in Japanese players from around the world.” Currently also in England’s top flight are Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) and Yukinari Sugawara (Southampton).

‘A bit of fear’

Japanese players have had mixed success in the Premier League since Junichi Inamoto became the first when he joined Arsenal in 2001. Inamoto left for Fulham after a single season where he failed to make a league appearance for the Gunners.

Shinji Kagawa won the Premier League with Manchester United in 2013 but drifted to the margins after a bright start and returned to Borussia Dortmund after an up-and-down two years. FIFA-registered CAA Base agent Joel Pannick, who has 50 Japanese players on his books, says English clubs previously had “a bit of a fear of Japanese players”.

“The stereotypical approach would be that the player would be technically very good but would they be physical enough? Would they be strong enough?” he told AFP. “Previously maybe Japanese players were pigeonholed—they go to Germany or Holland, where it’s more technical.”

Pannick says the recent success of Japanese players at British clubs, especially at Celtic under former J. League and now Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou, has helped change perceptions. He also says the COVID pandemic changed the way clubs scout players, making video footage and data from around the world more readily available.

“Teams wouldn’t want to spend the time and money taking a risk going to a place far away when they don’t know what they’re going to see when they get there,” he said. “Now that everything is available to watch hours or minutes after the match, it has removed any fear of ‘should the Japanese market be one that we look at?’”

Quality and value

Relatively cheap transfer fees have made Japanese players a canny investment, with Pannick calling them “more attractively valued than the equivalent player from anywhere else in the world”. Brighton paid just 2.5 million pounds to sign the winger Mitoma from the J. League in 2021, while prolific goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi joined Celtic for 4.5 million pounds the same year.

Furuhashi was heavily linked with Manchester City this summer. The prices mean that in recent transfer windows it has mostly been Championship clubs entering the market for Japanese players. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu says players are willing to play in the second tier and work their way up.

“The J. League is a very good league but the players want to play at the highest level,” said Moriyasu. “The Premier League is where the best players in the world are and they want to be there too. I think a lot of players have moved to the Championship with a view to making the step up.”

Pannick says post-Brexit changes to work permit rules have forced English clubs to look beyond Europe for signings and be “more open-minded and creative”. Japan’s recent performances at the World Cup, which included wins over Germany and Spain in Qatar in 2022, have put their players firmly in the shop window.

Pannick says they have the mentality to make the most of the opportunity. “With the players I’ve worked with, if something hasn’t gone right, if they’ve been taken out of the team or if they’re asked to play in a position that’s not their favorite, the default response is: what can I do better?” he said.

“The players identify themselves as ambassadors of Japan and they want to give a good account of themselves.” — AFP