To the Celtic fans who adore him, it’s a notion that now seems inconceivable.
Kyogo Furuhashi not making it as a footballer. And it’s not just Hoops supporters. To any Premiership centre-half who has had to try and mark him since he arrived at Parkhead, that must sound ridiculous. But it could have happened, you know. As a kid growing up in Ikoma, he was initially more interested in swimming than soccer. But Kyogo soon got the bug and quickly discovered he had a knack of finding the back of the net with his chances.
He was destined to be a striker – even if, when he got older, some coaches tried him out at full-back. But in his late teens Kyogo genuinely contemplated quitting the sport he loved. At University in Japan, he weighed up alternative careers, knowing that only a tiny percentage of young players make it as a pro footballer. Gaffer Ange Postecoglou, Celtic’s support – and Scottish football as a whole – should be grateful that he kept going.
