After instant impact,Daisuke connects

Daisuke’s deft footwork and his blistering pace are sure to aid Pune FC’s as the city side go searching for their first I-League title.

As Daisuke piles his plate high with all types of Japanese food and then slathers Wasabi sauce over his meal,the forward says that he has had the best start to his Indian adventure.

“Before the first match I was under pressure. Being a foreigner,people expected me to just jump in and start scoring goals. I couldn’t score in the first game I played but getting on the scoresheet (He scored two goals against Mumbai FC) is a big relief,” he says.

Daisuke cannot speak English and so his Pune FC teammate and a Japanese national himself till a month ago,Arata Izumi is translating for him. Isn’t language a barrier for Daisuke in understanding what is it exactly that the coach wants? Arata translates the question and Daisuke ponders over it for a while. Then in a torrent of rapid-fire Japanese,the diminutive forward puts his point across. “I have been playing football for the past 19 years and so I don’t really have any problems understanding instructions on the pitch. I can comprehend exactly what my teammates want me to do because football is a universal language,” he says.

“However,I want to start English classes because if I can speak the language then I can contribute more to the team.”

The 24-year-old Daisuke born in the city of Osaka in South-East Japan began playing football at the age of five.

Soon Daisuke graduated from playing on the street to playing for the youth team of J-League club Cerezo Osaka. After spending two years at the club,Daisuke left to complete his studies. He played for Kansai University in Osaka and also got a degree in sociology.

“After university I played for a top amateur side in Japan. But it was in 2010 that I got a great opportunity.” he says,“My agent got me a contract with a Moldovan club (Olympia Balti) and the two years that I spent in Moldova really taught me a lot as a footballer.”

He says the Moldovan system is vastly different from the Japanese and the Indian system.

“Moldovan clubs have adopted the footballing style of continental Europe. The entire team plays as a single unit. The Indian system is much more rigid. While Moldovan clubs are compact,Indian teams are at times uni-directional in their football.” he says.

Daisuke who is presently sharing an apartment with South Sudan striker James Moga says that striking up a good working relationship with the squad is important.

“In the first two games,I have had a good understanding with the front-line. However I am working on improving communication with the defenders. Its not easy because of the language barrier but I am sure in the coming games we will work something out,” says Daisuke,who wears the number seven shirt for his club.

The Japanese says that his two goals against Mumbai FC are just the start. “My personal goal is to score more than 10 goals this season. And I would like to win the championship for my team. That would really make this a dream season for me,” he added.