(Football news) Take Kubo has already experienced a lot in his life, despite his young age. It didn’t take him long to stand out and excel in youth tournaments with FC Barcelona as a youngster, before he returned to his native Japan and continued his development there.
When he came of age, Kubo set his sights on Europe once more and signed with Real Madrid, who had high hopes for the young talent, even if he never managed to make an official debut with the club. Instead, he went out on loans to RCD Mallorca, Villarreal CF and Getafe CF, clubs who witnessed the growth of this talented player from Kawasaki. Although he was on Real Madrid’s books, there wasn’t a space in the first-team squad for him and so he was permanently transferred to a club where he has truly been able to shine: Real Sociedad.
Roberto Olabe, the club’s sporting director, had set his sights on the player some time ago. Time proved him right as Kubo has turned out to be a perfect fit for the Txuri-Urdin. This is a team with incredible attacking flow and with several playmakers who speak the same footballing language as the winger, so this was undoubtedly a more favourable environment for the player to grow.
Last season, Kubo was already the Japanese player with the most goals in a single season in LALIGA EA SPORTS, before he became the top Japanese scorer in the history of the competition at the beginning of the current campaign. With nine goals and seven assists last season, he set the bar high, but this term he has taken another step forward in showing his quality, getting off to a flying start.
By directly contributing to six goals in seven games at the beginning of this league season, that is a statistic that catches the eye. So too is the fact that he scored his five goals off of an expected goals figure of just 2.76. This highlights that he has become a much more effective player in front of goal. Since his arrival in San Sebastián, the winger has undergone a clear physical change, which is allowing him to be more aggressive and to withstand more contact with opposition defenders.
Because of his profile as a player, as a left-footed winger who often starts on the right and who can play well between the lines, and also because of his stature, Kubo has been compared on numerous occasions to Lionel Messi. In fact, he is nicknamed by many as the ‘Japanese Messi’. That may be a heavy label, but it doesn’t seem to be weighing him down.
Another aspect that makes Kubo so likeable is the fact that his playfulness isn’t limited to the pitch. Almost every week he has moments that unintentionally make a big impact, thanks to his personality. From jokes with teammates to statements in the media to cheeky celebrations, all of these things contribute to Kubo being a fan favourite. As teammate Álex Remiro put it: “He’s very funny. I didn’t expect him to be so funny and talkative. He’s very nice and he has landed on his feet in the dressing room. He has quips and jokes and he’s very good for the group.” Perhaps the clearest example of this side of Kubo was seen in his last league game, the Basque Derby, when he celebrated a goal by twerking before explaining that this was because of a bet he’d made with his friend and teammate Aritz Elustondo.
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