Southampton‘s Kuryu Matsuki has to prove his worth, after receiving his first call-up from Japan for the upcoming international break.
The 23-year-old came up through Aomori Yamada High School’s ranks and moved to FC Tokyo in 2022.
His performances for the latter had convinced Southampton to bet on him in July 2024.
The Championship side immediately sent him on loan to Göztepe SK, another club owned by the Saints’ owners, Sport Republic.
Operating as a forward, attacking midfielder and in the middle of the pitch, he managed six goals and five assists from 34 matches for the Turkish club.
This had attracted interest from TSG Hoffenheim and FC Augsburg last summer. At that time, the English club were open to selling him but a move never materialised.
Southampton man impresses NT manager
Last season, he operated across several positions at St. Mary’s, while mainly playing as a right wing-back. He finished with six goals and two assists from 28 matches.
Tonda Eckert has used the 23-year-old higher up the pitch this season and also in the midfield. His versatility and mentality have convinced Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu to include him in his list.
The national team manager has also heaped praise on the Southampton man and Hochi have relayed his comments.
“He can play any position up front and has the ability to work hard on both offence and defence. Even in recent matches, he’s shown he can break through from the second line and finish the play with a goal,” he said.
“Ever since his youth days at FC Tokyo, he has demonstrated a strong work ethic and a resilient mentality that inspires the team.”
| Every Southampton signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Dobbi | Aston Villa | €10.50m |
| Daniel Peretz | Bayern Munich | €8.00m |
| Keven Schlotterbeck | FC Augsburg | €3.85m |
| Cyle Larin | RCD Mallorca | €3.00m |
| James Ward-Prowse | West Ham United | €1.10m |
| George Long | Norwich City | Free |
| Divin Mubama | Manchester City | Loan |
| Zach Abbott | Nottingham Forest | Loan |
Massive opportunity for Southampton player
Hochi, focusing on Kuryu Matsuki, says the first call-up will be a ‘major opportunity’ to showcase his worth with the national team.
Meanwhile, Hajime Moriyasu has urged the new players to “surpass the current squad”.
The upcoming international break will be a ‘litmus test’ for the Southampton player. Time will tell whether he will live up to at least the national team manager’s expectations.
Japan’s fixtures for September-October:
- v Uruguay on September 24th
- v Venezuela on September 28th
- v Ecuador on October 1st
