“I need to work hard and listen carefully” | OneFootball

New signing Keita Kosugi on how his move to Eintracht came about, what he likes about Frankfurt, how he interprets his role and much more besides.

“Gude! I’m Keita and I’m from Japan. Nice to meet you. Thank you!” Keita Kosugi, the 19-year-old left-back who joined Eintracht from Djurgårdens IF on 1 January, greeted the assembled journalists with a smile and an expression of curiosity on his face on Wednesday afternoon as he faced the media for the first time since his move to Frankfurt.Keita Kosugi on …

… his transfer: “[Eintracht] first got in touch in the autumn during the U-20 World Cup. I made the conscious decision to start a new chapter and want to prove myself at Eintracht, who are one of the biggest clubs in the Bundesliga and have big-name players. It’s all down to me. I need to work hard and listen carefully.”

… his fitness levels: “The Swedish season is over and I was on holiday in Japan. However, once it became clear that I was moving to Eintracht, I did everything I could to prepare myself for the Bundesliga, because in Germany there is still more than half the season left to play. As such, I got myself into the necessary physical shape.”

… discussions with Dino Toppmöller: “So far, I’ve spoken to the coach about tactical matters and my defensive play in training. I’m feeling confident and I’ve had the impression that I’ll be given the time I need to adapt.”

… Eintracht’s Japanese connection: “Frankfurt and Eintracht have close ties to Japan. I get to meet Japanese people here, both in the city and at the club. In Japan, the majority of people know about Eintracht because of players like [Ritsu] Doan, [Makoto] Hasebe, [Junichi] Inamoto, [Takashi] Inui and [Naohiro] Takahara. They have a great reputation among the fans and have done a lot to earn that status. I haven’t managed to speak to Makoto Hasebe yet, but I’m hoping to meet him soon. I’ve seen a few of Eintracht’s games recently and I’m happy to be here.”

… his position and style of play: “Nathaniel Brown is a very good player and someone I respect a lot. He’s obviously a step ahead of me, but hopefully I can reach his level. I’m working hard every day to achieve that. One of my main strengths, I think, is my left foot. I can still improve tactically and defensively. The key is to establish a good understanding with my team-mates, whether they’re playing out wide or in the centre.”

… learning the language: “Before I came to Frankfurt, I tried to learn a bit of German with a German teacher. I’ll try to learn the language as well as possible.”