Kyogo’s return to the Japan set-up has been a long time coming.
The Celtic star has continuously hit the goal trail for his club and his movement remains the best in the Scottish Premiership.
The 29-year-old had been left out of international reckoning by manager Hajime Moriyasu from recent squads while Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate were involved.
It left some fans scratching their heads at the amount of ability Japan must have in their ranks even if Maeda has played as a striker for Moriyasu at times in the past.
But now Kyogo’s comeback for matches against Indonesia and China has been confirmed and the manager explained in a press conference why he brought the player back in from the cold.
Moriyasu pointed to matches in the Champions League where the prolific Hoops striker has done the unselfish work in the press as well as his general attack play as a key reason he’s been brought back.
“In terms of strengths, there was a scene in the most recent Champions League match where he got out of the back, ran at the edge of the opponent’s defensive line and got out of the back at once,” Moriyasu said.
“I want to make the most of it.”
What Hajime Moriyasu said about Kyogo’s return to the Japan squad
Moriyasu did, however, also add that the attacker – who has hit 79 goals in 149 outings for his club since he arrived under Ange Postecoglou – has improvements he still has to make to be considered a regular contender for a spot.
And if he can add a defensive side to his game, the player can be a big part of the Japan set-up.
Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have also been called up alongside Kyogo
He added: “If we really want to show his strengths, if we don’t push him and play the game, he has to take on the task of defending, so I don’t think he’s going to be good when he goes out on the attack from there.
“I think we need to get them to play at the edge of the defensive line.”
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