"Overhated in the past" - Claim made on Coventry City "cult hero" Tatsuhiro Sakamoto | OneFootball

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has been praised as a key player by our Sky Blues sky pundit

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Coventry City forward Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has been praised for his great performances this term that have been key to the Sky Blues' play-off chase, and the club have been urged to make sure he stays in the summer window regardless of their league status ahead of next season.

Sakamoto signed for Coventry in July 2023 from Belgian side Oostende for a reported fee of around £1.2 million, and he has arguably been one of their most underrated players over the last 18 months since his arrival.

The two-cap Japanese international can play on either wing, as well as at attacking midfield and even in a more defensive wing-back role, and his high-energy, determined performances have seen him become a fan-favourite at the CBS Arena, even if he does not start every game.

Fan pundit heaps praise on Tatsuhiro Sakamoto after star turn at Oxford

Sakamoto featured 32 times in all competitions under Mark Robins in his debut season at the club, and registered seven goals and two assists for a decent return while finding his feet in English football. He did suffer a back injury towards the end of the campaign though, and painfully missed out on the Championship run-in, as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

He has struggled to nail down a starting berth at times so far this season, but has still been able to contribute four goals and assists each, with particularly good form since Frank Lampard was appointed as Sky Blues boss in November.

The 28-year-old has found himself out of the team in recent weeks, however, but bounced back from that tough spell in only his third start in the last 10 league games last time out at Oxford United, with a great cross to assist Jack Rudoni to open the scoring, and then the winning goal in the 71st minute to seal a vital three points in Coventry's top six chase.

Our Sky Blues fan pundit, Chris Deez, has praised Sakamoto for his ability and attitude when representing Coventry both on and off the pitch, and has urged the club to keep him for next season, especially if numerous high-profile players leave in the summer.

"I absolutely love Tatsu (Sakamoto). He is a little bit of a cult-hero, and I think he doesn’t get nearly enough credit," Chris told FLW.

"He works super hard for us. He had a great game against Oxford, not just with his goal and assist, which were both brilliant, but he worked hard off the ball.

"He wins the ball back loads more than people even realise he does. I think he’s maybe been a little bit overhated in the past, and I think that largely comes down to not really having a fixed position.

"Especially earlier in the season, Mark Robins didn’t seem to know what to do with him. He’s played all over midfield, on the wings, and as a fullback as well.

"I like him out wide. He’s tricky, causes problems for defenders, and I think his link up play with Jack Rudoni has been brilliant. It has pretty much been key to our good form as well, or one of the key aspects of it.

"He just seems like a lovely bloke as well. Anytime I ever see that people have met him, they always say how nice he is. He seems to really love playing for Coventry, loves the city.

"I absolutely adore the lad. He’s probably not right at the top of the list for other teams to come in and pick up if we don’t go up this season.

"I’d like to think that we’d probably keep him. He would be a key player to keep if we did lose the likes of Rudoni, Haji Wright, Ellis Simms or Ben Sheaf."

Sakamoto is enjoying life at Coventry and has hinted at a long-term stay

Sakamoto was largely unknown throughout English football when he first joined the Sky Blues, but he has shown signs of the potential to be one of the best wide players in the second-tier when at the top of his game over the last 18 months.

He is the perfect player for Coventry, in that he does not expect to play from the off each week, but is able to make an impact off the bench and also when he does get a run of starts due to good form, or even injuries to other players.

The 28-year-old has had ample time now to settle into his surroundings, and he gave his first interview to the press in English since joining the club last month, with praise for boss Lampard and a clear indication of his happiness to be playing for the Sky Blues.

"I'm very happy after I got a big injury and I am feeling so well, so I am happy. I love this team, I love this city. I am very happy to be playing with this team. My family also love the city. I have settled here and in this team," he told the Coventry Telegraph.

"I am still learning English every week, but I think I need another ten years to speak English fluently. The fans always give me a great energy and create a great atmosphere, so I'm very happy to be playing in front of these supporters.

"Frank is obviously a great manager and a great person. He always helps me. Even if I don't understand the English, he helps me. I am happy to be working under him. I don't mind which position I play, I just want to play as much as possible.

"I want to help with the team winning. I must show my good performances every single game. My performances...I have not been satisfied with my performances so far. Some games I have played well, but other games not enough. I need to maintain the good performances so I will focus on that."

Sakamoto is clearly content at the Sky Blues, and it would not come as a surprise to see the club open contract talks with him soon, with his current deal set to expire in June 2026.

It certainly seems likely, after his stellar performance at Oxford, that he will be a big part of Lampard's plans from now until the end of the season as Coventry look to secure a play-off place for a chance to win promotion to the Premier League. He does not look set to leave anytime soon, which will be music to the ears of supporters who have massively warmed to his nature on and off the pitch since his arrival.