Ange Postecoglou’s former assistant coach Peter Cklamovski has delivered an insight into Celtic’s latest January recruit, Yuki Kobayashi.
The Australian coach worked alongside Postecoglou for several different spells, starting off at Greek side Panachaiki in 2008.
Cklamovski then went on to become part of the 57-year-old’s staff at Melbourne Victory, the Australian National team and Yokohama F Marinos.
A year before Ange Postecoglou’s exit from Japan, the 44-year-old coach from Sydney took his own steps into club management, joining Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse.
And now, Cklamovski finds himself managing in the second division of Japanese football with Montedio Yamagata. So, if there is one man who knows Ange Postecoglou and Japanese football well, it is Peter Cklamovski.
Speaking in a recent interview, the Australian has been providing some insight into Celtic’s latest January recruit, Yuki Kobayashi from Vissel Kobe.
The 22-year-old central defender will officially join the Hoops on the 1st of January, 2023, and supporters will now know a little bit more about what they should expect after hearing from Cklamovski.
He said [The Times]: “He is a talented centre-back with a bright future ahead of him. He is comfortable with his passing game and will suit Celtic’s attacking style of play down to the ground.
“Being a left-sided centre-back is an asset, and he has all the attributes and characteristics to develop into one of Japan’s leading centre-backs in the future. The way Celtic play both in attack and defence will suit him, and all areas of his game will grow. He will certainly contribute to the team’s performances.
“Having played more than 100 games as a 22-year-old is decent, but he has never been with a manager like Ange, nor in the type of environment that Ange creates, so the development will be seen from this alone, and the potential for growth can be limitless.
“I anticipate him contributing to the team, and he has the ability to do so immediately. Having said that, I envisage he will need a short time to adjust to the intensity levels and tempo at which Celtic train. This will be an adjustment to the level and expectations at Vissel Kobe [also Furuhashi’s old club] without a doubt.
“It is difficult to compare defending between Japan and Scotland, and it’s perhaps not even fair to do so. Playing abroad will be an early adjustment for him, and the atmosphere and passion that away fans can generate in smaller stadiums will provide a different buzz for him too, but from what I have seen, he has the tools to thrive.
“The biggest point to note from a technical level defensively is that he will be playing in a very good Celtic team that are extremely clear in the manner they want to play. This supports all of the Celtic players on the field. This team performance connects to showcasing the individual quality Celtic have, and this will benefit Kobayashi and potentially lead to him producing the best levels of his career.”
Cklamovski provides supporters with fascinating Kobayashi insight as defender gets set to join Celtic teammates.
With the success of Ange Postecoglou’s signings from the J-League, there was always bound to be plenty of excitement surrounding the signing of Kobayashi.
However, the defender’s profile is a little different to the other four players, having moved to Parkhead at a slightly younger age.
Before links to the player started several weeks ago, the Parkhead faithful couldn’t have told you much about the player, and they will have to wait for their first glimpse at the beginning of next year.
However, this insight from Cklamovski is arguably the best we are going to receive, with the Australian coaching watching Kobayashi closely in Japan and also working with Ange Postecoglou in the past.
Thankfully, the young defender will have some time to adjust when he is able to join up with his Hoops teammates on the 1st of Decemeber.
In Portugal and back at Lennoxtown, Kobayashi will be building up his fitness, as well as his new relationships at the club, before being able to feature in competitive action in January.
It certainly sounds like we have another good signing from the J-League on our hands, and I am already looking forward to seeing him in action.
In other news, Report: Celtic set to avoid Alistair Johnston transfer hurdle; agreed fee revealed.
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