13 Aug 2009(Thu)

August 12, 2009: Keisuke Honda for Liverpool? Now there's an interesting one.

According to the player himself, Liverpool are keen on him. According to his club chairman at VVV-Venlo, Hai Berden, two of England's top five clubs are interested in him; which would make Liverpool a candidate again.

When you hear news of possible transfers, some sound right immediately and others sound way off the mark.

To me, this one sounds right, and I could see Liverpool being interested in signing Honda.

If they are, and if they want to complete a deal before the transfer window closes on August 31, then of course he should go.

But if the asking price of 10 million euros is too much and Liverpool -- or others -- decide to wait, then Honda is still in a good position.

He is settled with Venlo, he is captain and he is scoring goals in the top flight after being named MVP of the second division last season.

There is no need for him to jump at the first chance that comes along, as he is in the shop window playing in the Dutch first division against the likes of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. Holland is a big stepping stone to England, as Park Ji Sung will tell you.

This time last year I was at the Olympic Games in Beijing, following Sorimachi's bedraggled bunch around the country. My memories are grim, as the football was poor and Japan did not give a good impression of Japanese football at all (hardly surprising when the coach changed so many players after qualifying, including two of his best defenders in Inoha and Naoaki Aoyama, and central midfielder Toshihiro Aoyama).

But I do remember Keisuke Honda in the Mixed Zone -- the area where the players have to run the gauntlet of the media after the game, and stop and talk if they want or just keep moving to the exit and team bus.

Honda's English was very good and he was very happy to talk and talk, all the signs of a confident young man. The fact that he was made captain of Venlo, even in the second division, was a great achievement for a young Japanese player overseas. This should not be under-estimated, as it takes character and personality to be handed this role -- qualities Japanese players must possess to succeed overseas, as well as all the technical skills and physical fitness.

Whether Honda for Liverpool pans out, it is certainly putting him in the spotlight, and can only be a matter of time before he moves to a bigger club in Holland or to a bigger league in Europe.

ends