Up Pompey; Japan's No. 1 Signs for Portsmouth
Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was officially unveiled as English First Division side Portsmouth's record £1.8million pounds signing on Wednesday.
Kawaguchi, 26, who has signed a three-year deal at the club worth £340,000 a year to the player, was greeted with warm applause as he arrived to answer questions at a packed press conference, with over 200 Japanese journalists in attendance, at Portsmouth's Fratton Park ground.
Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric said he was delighted to be able to officially announce Kawaguchi's arrival from J-League side Yokohama F Marinos after almost five months of negotiations. The player had earlier been linked with a move to Bolton Wanderers.
The chairman said: "Bringing Yoshi to our football club means a lot to us here at Portsmouth.
"It means we are moving forward on the field and also bringing an international dimension to this beautiful city."
And Mandaric denied that Kawaguchi was signed for commercial reasons only. Mandaric said: "Most important for us is Yoshi's playing ability."
Portsmouth's director of football, Harry Rednapp added: "Who would have thought Portsmouth would have the captain of one of the host nations of the World Cup."
Kawaguchi, 26, becomes the third Japanese player to join an English club following Arsenal midfielder Junichi Inamoto and Bolton striker Akinori Nishizawa.
The experienced keeper, who has 52 caps for Japan and captain's the national side, hopes the move to join Portsmouth will enable him to pursue his dream of playing in the Premiership in England.
Kawaguchi said: "I love English football and I'm looking
forward to playing in England.
"I hope to play in the Premiership one day so at first I am aiming
to reach the Premiership with Portsmouth."
Admitting in Japan that he was nervous and apprehensive before his move, Kawaguchi is confident he can adapt to the pace of the English game and said: "The tempo of English football is much faster than in the J-League but I really like that type of soccer.
"I think I can adapt to it very quickly."
Throughout the press conference Kawaguchi showed his determination to practice his English often refusing the help of a translator and Mandaric pledged to support Kawaguchi's studies by hiring a professional language tutor.
And he instantly endeared himself to supporters of Portsmouth, affectionately known as `Pompey', by revealing he has been learning about the club's history.
Kawaguchi said: "Pompey was founded in 1883 and were champions in the FA Cup in 1939."
Despite becoming Portsmouth's record signing, Kawaguchi has been told by manager Graham Rix that he will not walk straight into the first team. In Japan, the 1.79 meter Kawaguchi admitted his size was a problem. "There's no denying I'm small," he said. "When I went there for a visit, they even told me that."
"If I don't make it, that's all I am. I'll just have to beat the bigger guys."
Portsmouth's current first choice goalkeeper Dave Beasant, 42, has just been offered an extension to his current contract after conceding just five goals in six games for the club.
Rix said: "Everyone has to justify their place in the team and I have explained that to Yoshi.
"Yoshi is a top class goalkeeper and I have had a discussion with him and he understands no one has the right to just walk into the team."
But Rix confirmed that Kawaguchi would `definitely' be in the 16-man squad for Portsmouth's home match with Preston North End on Saturday, October 27.
Like his idol, Peter Shilton, Kawaguchi has something of a reputation as a lady-killer and his off-the–field activities drew the attention of the Japanese tabloids before the 1998 World Cup finals. He should certainly attract some adoring Japanese fans if, as expected, he establishes himself in the first team. The British newspaper, The Independent even labelled the keeper the ‘Japanese Beckham' due to his pin-up status back home.
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