Sakai is 6 ft and has played nearly 350 games combined over the Bundesliga (Hannover 96), Ligue 1 & J League. Plus 75 games for Japan.
So vastly experienced. The ALM is a drop down from J1. He'd probably handle the switch to CB okay. He's likely lost some speed, but years of tactical nous to call upon.
He hasn't started a J1 game for Urawa Reds since early April, so maybe he's been told to start looking elsewhere for a club.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/hiroki-sakai/74373/
Sakai was actually one of Japan's 3 o/a players at the Tokyo Olympics. He started 5 of their 6 games, as they finished 4th. The only game he missed?
The QF win on pens over NZ!
So vastly experienced. The ALM is a drop down from J1. He'd probably handle the switch to CB okay. He's likely lost some speed, but years of tactical nous to call upon.
He hasn't started a J1 game for Urawa Reds since early April, so maybe he's been told to start looking elsewhere for a club.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/hiroki-sakai/74373/
Sakai was actually one of Japan's 3 o/a players at the Tokyo Olympics. He started 5 of their 6 games, as they finished 4th. The only game he missed?
The QF win on pens over NZ!