Yoichiro Kakitani

By Tan Boon Piaw SINGAPORE: Japan’s latest pin-up boy Yoichiro Kakitani is an ambitious young man.

Standing 175cm tall and weighing in at 65kg, with his long dyed blonde hair and boyish looks, Kakitani as expected, has a lot of admirers. But he has proved in this competition that there is more to him than just good looks. His three goals and all-round ability helped the team qualify for the final and book its place in the FIFA U-17 World Cup next year.

Kakitani long-term aim is to earn a call-up for the senior team and help the ‘Blue Samurai’ lift the FIFA World Cup. Born on January 3, 1990 in Osaka, ‘Golden boy’ Kakitani graduated from the Visus High School in Osaka and currently plies his trade for hometown club Cerezo Osaka.

One of the success stories of the Osaka Footballing School, the vastly talented Kakitani has represented Japan in the U-12, U-14, U-15 and U-16 teams. Even at a very young age, some football experts had dubbed him as the next Shunsuke Nakamura and Hidetoshi Nakata. But comparisons like these are the last thing Kakitani is craving for.

“I am Yoichiro Kakitani, not Shunsuke Nakamura or Hidetoshi Nakata. Maybe our playing styles are similar, but it means nothing. We are different. I don’t want to live under someone’s shadow,” said the Cerezo Osaka utility man. “I am not David Beckham as well. I am not a star, I am just a football player.”

“Among the local players, I like Keiji Tamada, an unsung hero in the national team, the most.”

Even though Kakitani has different ideas the fact is he has exactly the same temperament, character and the wild yet elegant look of Nakata, and his lightning fast, fantastic dribbling and attacking style of play is close to Nakamura’s.

Kakitani can operate in any position upfront and midfield and his versatile ability has made him a useful option for coach Hiroshi Jofuku, who predicted that Kakitani would only get better in the years to come. “Young player need to be well protected. If Kakitani takes care of himself well, keep on improving under proper guidance, I can say he has a very bright future,” Jofuku said.

The player himself adores Brazillian superstar Ronaldinho and it is not surprising that his favourite team is Barcelona. “Ronaldinho almost achieved everything in football. FIFA World Player of the Year, UEFA European Footballer of the Year, UEFA European Champions League champions and World Cup champions, to name a few.” “I would like to emulate Ronaldinho’s success one day. My personal target is to be selected in the national team, help Japan win their first ever World Cup, and get a place in the in World Cup All Star team.”