Another Japanese Player for Celtic?

By: Martha | January 9th, 2008

Koki Mizuno Just last week, the papers in Japan, Scotland and England were all discussing the possibility that standout midfielder and free kicking maestro Shunsuke Nakamura could be on his way back to Japan after many years abroad. He was said to be considering a return to Yokohama Marinos, with an eye to securing a place in the Japanese National Team for World Cup ~~2012~~ 2010. The stories were quickly rubbished by Celtic, albeit not entirely convincingly, and now Nakamura’s success for the club is paving the way for the arrival of a promising young countryman, JEF United’s Koki Mizuno, possibly the very man who will end up replacing Nakamura at Parkhead.

Mizuno is just 22, and his contract with his club ended at the close of the J-League season last year, so he could arrive at Celtic on a free. Over the past 18 months, his star has risen significantly in Japan, and the midfielder has been tracked by several European clubs. But Mizuno only has four full caps, far short of the usual required for a transfer from abroad, which makes getting a work permit in the traditional way virtually impossible. Celtic, however, have entered an appeal with the Department of Employment, and it’s hoped that the success of Nakamura in the SPL will be taken into consideration when Mizuno’s case is heard, which is expected to happen within the next 48 hours.

If a work permit is granted, Mizuno will arrive in Glasgow almost immediately to join the club, and Celtic will not only have a promising new midfielder, but also — and surely not entirely coincidentally — a young, handsome means of access to the lucrative Asian market. In addition to his potential to earn money for the club, though, Mizuno is reportedly quite a player: He’s small (only 5′8″) and doesn’t score many goals (eight in 73 appearances for JEF United), but he’s technical, quick, and “more skillful than Nakamura.” Not too shabby.