Kyogo Furuhashi, a former Celtic striker, has recently opened up about his frustrations regarding his lack of international recognition during his time at Celtic. The 30-year-old forward made the move from Glasgow to Stade Rennes during the January transfer window, seeking to help the French Ligue 1 side escape the relegation zone. However, since his arrival at Rennes, Kyogo has struggled to find his rhythm and score his first goal for the club, particularly under the management of Habib Beye, who took over from Jorge Sampaoli just days after Kyogo’s £10 million transfer. Despite his challenges in France, Kyogo’s career at Celtic had been incredibly successful, as he enjoyed a prolific spell with the Scottish club over the course of three-and-a-half years.
During this time, Kyogo was consistently impressive, netting numerous goals for Celtic and earning widespread recognition. However, despite his outstanding performances at club level, he was often overlooked by Japan’s national team coach, Hajime Moriyasu. Moriyasu’s decisions led to Kyogo being excluded from Japan’s squads for major international tournaments, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 Asian Cup. This lack of international involvement was a significant source of disappointment for Kyogo, as he had hoped to represent his country on the global stage.
In an interview with Lemino Football, Kyogo spoke candidly about the emotional impact of being left out of the World Cup squad. He revealed that he learned of his exclusion while traveling with Celtic for a Champions League match against Real Madrid. The announcement of Japan’s squad came on the same day, and Kyogo admitted that it was a crushing blow. “It was really frustrating,” he shared. “To be honest, I found out about the squad announcement on the day we were traveling for the Champions League away game. I couldn’t allow myself to dwell on it, though. I was really depressed and frustrated, but I knew I had to focus on the upcoming Champions League match, so I did my best to shift my focus.”
This period of disappointment for Kyogo highlights the emotional toll that not being selected for key tournaments can take on a player, especially one who had proven his worth at the club level. It also sheds light on the challenges that international players sometimes face in balancing personal ambitions with the demands of club football. For Kyogo, the disappointment of being overlooked by his national team coach did not derail his career, but it undoubtedly left him feeling disheartened. As he now embarks on a new chapter with Stade Rennes, Kyogo will be hoping to regain his form and achieve success both at the club level and, hopefully, with the Japanese national team in the future.
