The Wellington Phoenix have signed versatile forward Hideki Ishige on a two-year contract from Japan J1 League side Gamba Osaka.
Ishige (29) has played almost 300 professional matches in Japan, more than half of which have been in the J1 League for Gamba Osaka and Shimizu S-Pulse.
He is also a former Japanese age-group international and was crowned the AFC men’s youth player of the year in 2011 after starring at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico, where he scored the first two goals and set up the third in a 6-0 win over New Zealand.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano believes Ishige will suit the way he is hoping to play in the Isuzu UTE A-League this season, and will give the team a different dimension.
“The way that we’re evolving the team, my preference is for technically good players and players with speed, and Hideki fits that mould,” Italiano said.
“He can play as a 10, he can play as an inverted winger, he can play as a nine, he can play as a second striker, he can play in the midfield, and he’s also played as an inverted fullback when he was at S-Pulse.
“Hideki’s versatility and the fact that he can play anywhere makes it easier for me in terms of coaching because I can be a little bit more flexible tactically and put him in areas I know he won’t be uncomfortable.
“He’s also got a knack for scoring goals from distance and he’s a very crafty player around the box, which is very, very important for me.
“And Hideki’s played at a high level for a long time, and that experience is good for the team.”
Italiano believes Ishige is still in his prime and can have his best years in Wellington.
“Hideki was a little bit unlucky with injuries a couple of years ago that halted his career, but I think if we get his confidence up, he’s going to be a great player in the A-League.
“That’s a reason why we’ve signed him on a two-year contract. It’s going to take a bit of time for him to adjust.
“The first year for a foreign player is always the most difficult, but we’re hoping we can build on that and next year he can have a breakout season.”
Hideki Ishige looks forward to testing himself in the A-League.
“I want to say thank you to everyone at Wellington Phoenix for accepting me,” Ishige said.
“From now on I will devote everything I have to the team and do my best so that we can win the championship.”
Hideki Ishige is the 22nd player confirmed in the Phoenix men’s squad for the new Isuzu UTE A-League season.
He will wear the no. 9 shirt for the Nix.
Wellington Phoenix squad
Goalkeepers
Dublin Boon
Alby Kelly-Heald
*Joshua Oluwayemi
Defenders
Isaac Hughes
Lukas Kelly-Heald
Tim Payne
Sam Sutton
*Scott Wootton
Midfielders
Luke Brooke-Smith
Fin Conchie
*Kazuki Nagasawa
Paulo Retre
Marco Rojas
Alex Rufer
Matt Sheridan
Mohamed al-Taay
Forwards
*David Ball
Kosta Barbarouses
*Hideki Ishige
Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues
Luke Supyk
Oskar van Hattum
*Visa players
This story was first published on September 2, 2024.
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