Hearts ace Yutaro Oda has revealed he's bulked up to face the physical demands of Scottish football, after his move from Japan.
The 21-year-old moved from Vissel Kobe in January to join up with the Tynecastle side, but initially struggled to get to grips with the fast pace of the Premiership. But Oda ended the season strongly and scored his first goal for the club on the last day of the season in an ill-tempered derby with Hibs as ten-man Hearts clung on to stay above them in the league.
And he's revealed in an interview with his homeland media how he's piled on the pounds to adapt to the game in Scotland. He said: "I have always wanted to play overseas, so I didn't hesitate when I got the chance to move to Hearts. But at first I felt it was really hard in Scotland. It took me two or three months to get used to it.
"Whether it was at training or in games, there were clear differences from Japan. The players, mainly Scottish, are all big and physically strong players. And there are some teams who pass, but also other teams who play long balls to the strikers and I was confused at first with the different styles. So I needed to change my body shape to combat this and I needed to change the way I thought about football.
"Over the past few months, I have gained half a stone, but I have kept sharp by gaining muscle mass and losing body fat in a balanced manner. I was a winger, but I am more conscious about the importance of winning the second ball in midfield now. I need to make use of my agility and speed.
"I felt I played much better as the season went on and I really enjoyed it when we played Celtic because I was fired up as they have a lot of Japanese players. My aim is to play for Japan at the Olympics in Paris next year and to do that, it is essential to be active in the club. My teammates now understand me and I think I have been able to adapt. I hope to be involved a lot in the new season with Hearts and, above all, score more goals and get some assists."
READ NEXT:
