2023/27 T. Watanabe | D. Schmidt 2024/27 | D. Yokota 2024/27 | A. Ito 2024/27 @ KAA Gent (BEL)

Wow, great move. When he become a starter there he can even go further.

 

Great move

 

It shows the huge development japanese football is making. Even the "smaller" players are going to make their way to europe and going to play for top teams in a little "smaller" leagues like belgium. And that comes not from nowhere. Its cause of good constant performances.

And thats mean the quality in quantity is getting better which means a lot.

For example you have the stars like Doan, Kamada, Endo, Kubo, Ito, Furuhashi, and so on who are playing great till good seasons and then you have the more unknown talents/players like Koki Saito, Kawabe, Watanabe who are also performing extremly well and are waiting for their chances.

Even if they never make it to a real JNT player, they are improving the options for Moriyasu and increase the pressure on the stars.

Great growing network.

 

Belgium and Netherlands is a perfect start.

 

That's the biggest takeaway from the last 3-4 years. Both countries are excellent as a landing spot, although Belgium is slightly better to get accustomed to Europe.

 

They won 5-1 this weekend in the conference league qualifiers. He started and scored a goal. 90 mins.
Great start for him.

 

Scored again.

 

Gent seem really strong. They running over every opponent so far

 

Yes! And Watanabe is a part of it. Till now a great move.

 

And I dont think JFA can ignore him anymore

 

Assist

 

Jullie GOTM & POTM: Hyunseok Hong en Tsuyoshi Watanabe 😍#GntClu #JPL pic.twitter.com/GnrWk8FxNf

— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) September 3, 2023

Player of the month

 

Impressive how good he develop since his arival at Europe. Reminds me of Endo, Tomiyasu.

Would be cool if he continue like that and in 1-2 years join some serious side in England, Germany, Spain or Italy.

 

Scored in a 4-0 victory for Gent.

 

What a season! I see bigger things coming now seriously!

 

Put Daniel Schmidt in this thread also

 

Make it three !

Daisuke Yokota arrives from Poland - Gornik Zabrze - on a 3 years deal for a 2 million€ transfer fee. He is a 23 years old offensive midfielder with 7 goals and 1 assist so far this season.



He started his european journey at 18 yo, joining FSV Frankfurt (4th division) youth team, leaving a year after for FC Carl Zeiss Jena II (5th division).

After being a free agent for 6 months he didn't give up and then joined Latvia and Valmeria FC where he first finished second, then helped his club to win the 1st division league with 8 goals and 10 assists. He played there alongside his fellow japanese Ryuga Nakamura (who then joined Armenia before coming back to Latvia) and Masaki Murata (now playing in Azerbaijan).

His performances were remarked and Polish ambitious side Gornik Zabrze offered him a contract (38 yo Lukas Podolski is playing there since 2021). Having scored 7 goals and 1 assist in 18 games now opened him the doors of "big" western european football.

I'm glad that his efforts payed off, glad to see all all those japanese players having the guts to try and face the unknown in order to pursue theirs dreams. It's such an inspiration, really. Good luck to all of them !

 

You started the thread, now about time to change the title !

 

Wow st truiden crushed Gent tonight

 

Yes they havent won in 7 games .