Kyogo Furuhashi has expressed his gratitude for being called up to the Japan national team despite struggling for game time since his January move to Rennes.
The 30-year-old forward, who departed Celtic for the Ligue 1 side during the winter transfer window, has found opportunities hard to come by in France, featuring for just 46 minutes in total since making his debut against Strasbourg on February 2.
Furuhashi has amassed 22 caps for his country but appears to be on the fringes of Hajime Moriyasu’s plans. He was one of four players left out of the matchday squad for Japan’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Bahrain on Thursday, a result that secured their place at next year’s tournament alongside hosts USA, Mexico, and Canada.
With a fixture against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Furuhashi remains hopeful that Japan boss Moriyasu may rotate his squad and offer him an opportunity to impress.
“I’m grateful to have been called up, and with so many good forwards,” Furuhashi said. “I hope to be able to show my strengths. The national team has scored a lot of goals, so I would like to score as well if I get the chance to play.”
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Despite his struggles for minutes in Ligue 1, Furuhashi remains determined to make an impact for club and country. After watching his teammates secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he attempted to explain his lack of minutes at Rennes.
He told Nikkan Sports: “I’m running, hoping that one pass out of ten will be enough. It’s not good for a forward to stop moving there. I’m running and communicating.
“Even in difficult times I believe I can make a splash somewhere. To that end, I want to prepare well and polish the areas I can on the pitch.
“That means I can perform well when I’m on the field, and I want to stay positive and do my best.”
