Yamato Kawano might be plying his trade at one of the Eredivisie's smaller clubs, but he is certainly making an impact in both domestic and international football.The former Grampus Eight wingman arrived in the Netherlands at NEC Nijmegen for the 2018-19 season with a reputation for pacy wingplay and great teamwork.
In his first season of European football though he flattered to deceive. He certainly had energy and pace, but the brains trust at NEC wanted much more. Consequently he was sold, but somewhat surprisingly he moved sideways to another mid ranking side in the Eredivisie.
Manager Franky Vercauteren was impressed by the raw athletic ability of Kawano, and also by his desire to prove himself after a tricky rookie season in the Netherlands.
Season 2019-20 would prove to be more profitable for the speedster from Nagoya. He impressed at the Abe Lenstra stadium, particularly under the floodlights in Europa League fixtures against Manchester United and Hoffenheim.
Following these successes he has added international caps to his CV. To date national team selector Masaki Higa has selected Kawano on 18 occasions for the SuperNippon. Somewhat surprisingly, his good form has prompted Higa to station Kazuya Watanabe, national team captain and previous left winger, across on the right flank. The Lazio man has a wide repetoire of tricks and flicks, but simply does not have the pace to match up with Kawano.
The Japanese Football Association expects that it's players will reach the quarter finals at least in this tournament. You would have to bet upon Yamato Kawano playing a large part in them getting there.
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