1 Feb 2007(Thu)

Tokyo, January 31, 2007: Takayuki Morimoto brought back memories of the now retired Hidetoshi Nakata with his goal-scoring debut in Italy at the weekend.

Nakata, remember, set Serie A alight in 1998 when he netted twice for Perugia in a 4-3 defeat against Juventus – and could have had a hat-trick on his debut if the coach had let him take a penalty.

Now, finally, it is Morimoto’s turn to grab the headlines.

After waiting patiently in the reserves for Catania, the 18-year-old striker was sent on in the 84th minute against Atalanta in Bergamo on Sunday. Catania were trailing 1-0 at the time, but Morimoto earned them a point with a quick and confident finish inside the box.

This will surely earn him more playing time, but a starting position cannot be guaranteed with Catania playing well and standing joint fourth in the table.

For all those who saw the shaven-headed Morimoto play for Verdy, they will testify that the youngster really looks the part. He is sharp, has a good physique and is always on the move, qualities which make him a bright and dangerous player.

I remember having a long chat about Morimoto with Ossie Ardiles when the Argentine was Verdy manager. He told me that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson held Morimoto in high regard and that he would follow his progress carefully after seeing him in a youth tournament.

Ardiles has a similar man-management approach to the likes of Kevin Keegan and Gordon Strachan, always talking his players up and making them feel they are the best, but there was no doubting the former Tottenham star’s genuine valuation of Morimoto.

The teenager is on loan to the Sicilian club from Verdy until the summer, and may yet feature in the plans of Olympic team coach Sorimachi.

After all, Japan’s under-22s are looking a bit short of firepower as they prepare to challenge for a place in Beijing 2008, and I am sure the explosive qualities of Morimoto would give them a new dimension.

That is for the future, though. Hopefully, Morimoto will have more chances to show his quality for Catania now that he has marked his Serie A debut with an eye-catching goal.

ends