Celtic’s latest recruit, Yuki Kobayashi has revealed the impact that Vissel Kobe teammate Thomas Vermaelen has had on his burgeoning career. The 22-year-old signed on for five years with Ange Postecoglou’s side and will be another import from the Asian market after the signings of Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi.
With Celtic looking for more balance to the backline, left-footed Kobayashi will hopefully give the Hoops that and more with his fantastic aerial ability and range of diagonal passing. Carl Starfelt has been the most consistent performer beside defensive stalwart Cameron Carter-Vickers but Ange may be looking for something a bit different moving forward.
The central defender was shipped out following the arrival of ex-Arsenal and Barcelona stopper Vermaelen back in 2020. Yuki returned last year and had the opportunity to play alongside the Belgian and has insisted that it was the education of a lifetime. Speaking during a farewell video on behalf of Vissel, he said: “I learned so much from him. He showed so much hunger and desire to go and win the ball” (via Scottish Daily Express).
“I was fantastic to see and it taught me how to play like that. It was a pleasure to be able to gain that experience of working with him. He has helped me achieve my dream.”
In amongst the video, the Japanese player tells his teammates his reasoning for moving on, stating: “I’ve decided to transfer after a discussion this year. It has been one of my goals for a long time so I’m going to take on the challenge.”
His move away from the J-League will be interesting to see as he adapts and assimilates to a completely new culture and environment. But with Ange’s record with signings from that part of the world, we could be ready for another gem.
Paul Gillespie
