New Celtic star Yuki Kobayashi has revealed how a chastening experience with England hero Phil Foden led to him becoming the player he is today.
The Japanese defender will be eligible to play for Celtic from January 1 after completing a £1.5 million move from Vissel Kobe last month. Kobayashi has yet to be capped at full international level, but has been a mainstay of Japanese youth teams in recent seasons and he recalled an incident that made him realise how far he had to go to improve his standards.
In the FIFA Under 17s World Cup in 2017, Japan and England faced each other in the Round of 16s in the competition in Kolkata, India. And Kobayashi admitted the Manchester City talent made him aware just how much he had to improve. He said: "I thought I was progressing well until I was picked for Japan in the Under 17s World Cup and we played against England.
"I was up against Phil Foden and I couldn't get anywhere near him. I didn't win one tackle all game.
"The top level of world football even at that age was far higher than I imagined. That game, which we lost in a penalty shootout, made a strong impression on me. I realised how hard I would have to work and how much I would have to improve to play at that kind of level.
"I believe I have improved a lot since then and I have been handed this huge opportunity to play in Europe. I want to be a player who continues to raise my standards."
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