To the Celtic fans who adore him, it’s a notion that now seems inconceivable.
Kyogo Furuhashi not making it as a footballer. And it’s not just Hoops supporters. To any Premiership centre-half who has had to try and mark him since he arrived at Parkhead, that must sound ridiculous. But it could have happened, you know. As a kid growing up in Ikoma, he was initially more interested in swimming than soccer. But Kyogo soon got the bug and quickly discovered he had a knack of finding the back of the net with his chances.
He was destined to be a striker – even if, when he got older, some coaches tried him out at full-back. But in his late teens Kyogo genuinely contemplated quitting the sport he loved. At University in Japan, he weighed up alternative careers, knowing that only a tiny percentage of young players make it as a pro footballer. Gaffer Ange Postecoglou, Celtic’s support – and Scottish football as a whole – should be grateful that he kept going.
Irrespective of your allegiance, the 28-year-old’s effervescent character, natural enthusiasm – and the constant smile on his face – add value to our game. And that’s aside from his undoubted talent.
Tonight, he’ll be honoured by the Scottish Football Writers Association as their Player of the Year, adding to his countless other awards. But if it wasn’t for Takeshi Oki, the coach at J2 League club FC Gifu, giving him an opportunity in 2017, we might never have seen him in action.
Kyogo said: “I was actually a swimmer from three years old. But all the kids in the neighbourhood were playing football. I thought ‘That’s cool’, so I started playing.
“Even at that age I was in front of the goal all the time. Every time I received the ball I’d just shoot and score. That was fun for me and it’s how I started playing football. I tried hard at swimming and to compete in national competitions.
“At such a young age I just played football for my love of it. I enjoyed it. Most of the time I played as a striker and before I came here I was playing winger.
“But at high school I actually used to play full-back, which was a bit different! Between the age of 16 and 18 there was a professional footballer in my year. Two players came out of my school to be footballers.
“That’s when I thought: ‘OK, maybe there’s a chance for me’. But I was struggling at one point. No one was really calling me to play for their club. When nobody called I thought about giving it up.
“But luckily FC Gifu called me with a place on their team and that’s how I started. I’ll always appreciate that. Maybe I’d have had to work like anyone else and just play football as a hobby.
“My family have supported me all the way through until here. They would say: ‘Nothing is finished so why give up?’ These kinds of words triggered me and switched me on.
“So then I thought, ‘Why not keep trying until the end and see how it goes?’”
Given those struggles he encountered as a young player in Japan, maybe it’s no wonder Kyogo plays the way he does. He seems to treat every game as if it might be his last. With his boundless energy, running power and devilish movement he never gives defenders a moment’s respite.
That’s helped him bang in 33 goals this season, with Celtic on their way to a domestic Treble. And after the graft he put in to get here, Kyogo is savouring every moment in Glasgow.
He said: “I’m just grateful to be able to play here. When you’re younger and you play football, everyone is trying to make it as a professional. I still talk to some friends now and they say it’s amazing what I’ve done. Even though they work at a company or somewhere, they use what they learned through football when we played together.
“They still use those experiences. But I know it’s rare to make it to professional level. You can play and do whatever you can, then you get a job. So I feel grateful for what I’ve got. I feel like I’m carrying all those hopes of my friends who didn’t make it.”
When Kyogo collects yet another gong at tonight’s awards ceremony he’ll probably think of Oki, the coach at FC Gifu who gave him a chance. He’s certainly not the type to take anything for granted. Although the Hoops star will make room at home to fit in all the trophies he has picked up.
He said: “I was so glad to meet the coach at Gifu. When I look back, I was in my first year and a new guy. But he made sure I worked hard on what I had.
“On good days and bad days, everyone has supported me. After I showed what I had, the coach used me and, in time, had confidence in me. That kept me motivated.
“I’m happy to be selected for this award from a lot of great players in Scotland. I’m pleased about this. I’ll make sure there’s space for it. I’ll put it in a nice place in my house.”
Kyogo was speaking as he was announced as the SFWA Player of the Year.
