With typical Japanese modesty and a training session under his belt, Yuya Osako answered journalists’ questions on Sunday morning during the press conference at the Weser-Stadion. The anticipation ahead of his new challenge with the Green-Whites was evident in his face, as was the clear objective in his eyes: his first goal for Werder.
“I want to score goals, that is my strength,” he emphasised having just returned from his holiday following the World Cup. The 28-year-old, who drew further attention to himself with his strong performances during the World Cup in Russia, is keen to get his football shoes back on and to cause problems for defences.
He will likely get his chance to impress in tomorrow’s friendly against VVV-Venlo. “The period in which Yuya has been training individually will come to an end today. If nothing happens in the last training session, then he will travel to the friendly and get time on the pitch,” reported head coach Kohfeldt on the new Werder number 8’s chances of featuring in the match.
The striker, who himself said that he is “not yet quite 100%”, wants to play and display his strengths on the field. He prefers to play as a striker or in behind the striker, so he is very versatile. An important factor was also the footballing ideas of head coach Kohfeldt and the signing of the man who has made 108 Bundesliga appearances. “Yuya can do everything in central offensive positions i.e. as striker, at number 10 or as an attacker,” said Kohfeldt on Osako’s varying abilities on the pitch.
Yasuhiko Okudera demonstrated in the 1980s how a Japanese player can ply his trade at SV Werder. The former Japan international played 159 times for Werder and finished runner-up in the German top flight on three occasions. Footsteps, in which only Werder’s second Japanese player is excited to follow in. “Okudera was an outstanding player and I am proud to now be playing in the team where he achieved so much success.”
