4 May 2003(Sun)

It came as no surprise that Genk were not interested in keeping Takayuki Suzuki when his one-year loan deal comes to an end soon.

The reason is obvious: that Suzuki has not been able to contribute anything extra to Genk's play.

Although the Belgian League contains some established and respected European clubs such as Anderlecht and Bruges, it is not among the continent's major leagues.

Spain, Italy, England and Germany are regarded as the top four, with the likes of France, Portugal and Holland in the next group.

So the fact that Suzuki has not been able to hold down a place in a team from the mediocre Belgian league does not bode well for his future if he wants to stay in Europe.

His future, presumably, is back at Kashima Antlers, from whom he joined Genk on loan.

So was it a mistake for Suzuki to leave Japan and spend a season on the bench?

No, not at all.

There is no doubt he will have learned a lot, as the pace of the game in Belgium is fast and the football is physical.

I saw Genk play last year, a few months before the World Cup, and had the chance to interview Wesley Sonck after the game.

I found the style of football, and the atmosphere in the stadiums, like a "Little England." It was noisy and passionate and the players never gave up running and trying to score again, no matter what the state of the game was.

From this cultural point of view, I am sure Suzuki will have benefited and broadened his view of the game, and it might be a shock to return to Japan, where the game is still new on a professional level.

Suzuki's goal against Belgium in the World Cup surely contributed significantly to his move. I am sure the Belgians were impressed with his physical style and his presence in the forward line.

It is true that Suzuki did have a good World Cup, and Philippe Troussier must still be regretting not picking him and Yanagisawa for the Turkey match, preferring instead the unusual combination of Alex and Nishizawa.

The fact that Suzuki has not been able to make his mark in Belgium shows just how much progress Japanese players still need to make.

ends