Japanese strikers aiming to impress Moriyasu ahead of World Cup | OneFootball

Kyogo Furuhashi this time last year walked into Brendan Rodgers’ office at Lennoxtown to explain to the Celtic manager than he wanted to leave the club in order to fulfil his ambition of playing for Japan at the World Cup Finals…

Furuhashi had changed agents and as his new advisors also handled similar matters for Japan National Coach Hajime Moriyasu,  it was rather easy to for Brendan Rodgers to put two and two together to work out exactly what was happening.

At the time interest in Kyogo from Manchester City emerged as Celtic beat the then English Champions 4-3 in the States. That result was no fluke as Chelsea were to find out a few days later, this time the Hoops recorded a 4-1 victory to provide a double embarrassment for two of the English Premier League top sides.

Daizen Maeda poses with his Scottish Premiership winners medal after the season s final league match against St. Mirren on May 17, 2025. Photo IMAGO

Rodgers though was sympathetic as Kyogo explained that he understood that he needed to be performing in a top five league in order to be considered for the national side. The obvious retort of course would have been that neither Daizen Maeda or Reo Hatate, then Kyogo’s teammates at Celtic had any similar issues with Moriyasu overlooking them because of the where the played their club football.

Rodgers eventually allowed Kyogo to get his move in late January, joining French side Rennes for a fee of around £10m and leaving Celtic looking for a replacement as the hours ticked down to the January transfer window closing. Reportedly several bids were made but none were successful although the Celtic manager had a notion up his sleeve that Daizen Maeda, who had scored a hat trick for Rodgers in the club’s pre-season tour in Japan in summer 2023, could fill the void left by Kyogo’s exit.

Reo Hatate is pictured with the Scottish Premiership trophy after the season s final match against St. Mirren on May 17, 2025. Photo IMAGO

And fill it Daizen did, in quite spectacular fashion ending the season on 33 goals scored with four at Champions League level and sites like Betway paying out on a regular basis as Maeda delivered for the supporters who were putting their money on their new hero.

Maeda ended up winning all the Player of the Year awards from Celtic, the supporters, his teammates, the Scottish PFA – voted by his fellow professionals and also the football writers. Maeda was sensational as a Celtic striker and while the club are still looking at a signing a goalscorer to replace Kyogo, the obvious answer might be to play Daizen as the main striker and then replace him on the wing.

The trouble with that is Daizen Maeda is a one off and with Jota suffering a ACL injury on the day Celtic wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title at the end of April the ‘Superstar from Portugal’ will not be back until 2026.

COMO, ITALY – JULY 26: Yamada of Celtic FC scores his goal from the penalty spot during the Como Cup match between Al-Ahli and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Meanwhile Celtic have returned to Japan to sign striker Shin Yamada from Reo Hatate’s old club Kawasaki Frontale. Yamada made his debut in Como on Saturday evening as Celtic played Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli with Celtic winning the match on a penalty shoot-out and Yamada scoring the decisive kick. He’d already caught the eye with his pace and excellent finish during the match but his goal celebrations were cut short by the assistant referee’s flag. Still, the early signs are promising.

Here’s the thing, Yamada’s arrival at Celtic was delayed because he was called up to the national side and is now looking at making an impact at Celtic, especially in the Champions League campaign, assuming Celtic negotiate the play-off tie next month to reach the group stages.

If it all that goes well for Yamada as the Celtic striker, with Daizen Maeda back on the wing, then he could be a real contender to make the Japan squad for next summer’s World Cup Finals.

Former Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi, personal message after joining Birmingham City from Rennes. Photo Birmingham City FC

Meanwhile Kyogo’s time a Rennes was disastrous  and he has now moved on to newly promoted English Championship side Birmingham City, who are managed by former Celtic assistant manager Chris Davies, who also assisted Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham in the Australian’s first season as Spurs boss after leaving Celtic as a Treble winner.

Postecoglou of course brought Kyogo to Glasgow as his first major signing and both managers – Postecoglou and Rodgers – would have been able to provide Davies with all the assurances needed about Kyogo and his abilities as a striker.

But there will be no European football for Kyogo this season and he is not playing in a top five league, so he fails there too. If Yamada can make an impact at Celtic he may just make the Japan World Cup squad alongside Maeda and the classy midfielder Reo Hatate.

And if all that comes to pass Kyogo might end up considering who is advising him going forward.

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