Ryo Miyaichi: Nightmare of the Fullbacks

Racing down the left flank, getting past defenders and having the composure to find the back of the net time and again, Ryo Miyaichi has been nothing short of a revelation during his loan stint at Feyenoord and then at Bolton wanderers this season. With a maturity well beyond his years, Ryo Miyaichi, at 19, is developing to be everything that Theo Walcott had promised to be for Arsenal, and more.

While Walcott – still young himself – is often criticized for not having a very good football sense to go with his pace, the Japanese teenager is clever on the ball and has a good sense of awareness off it, in addition to his agility and speed. A trial at Arsenal in the summer of 2010 was enough to impress the gaffer and earn Ryo a professional contract at the club.

Just having played for his high school football club, Arsene Wenger’s decision, to have Miyaichi directly jump into professional football at the highest level, was called into question. One year since, it seems yet another genius footballer has been unearthed – Another name to add to the list of superstar footballers discovered by Wenger.

With an impressive loan spell at the Dutch club, Feyenoord – winning the Man of the Match award in his first game of his professional club career – and consistent performances for Bolton make him one of the most anticipated players at the Emirates. Already a Player of the Month award to his credit, during the loan spell at the Reebok stadium, he has dismantled opposition defenses and set up several chances for his team. Had the conversion rate been better, statistics would have perhaps been more kind to him. Nevertheless, Bolton manager Owen Coyle was generous in his praise of the Japanese forward

He went to Millwall in the last round and scored a wonder goal. He went to Chelsea and frightened the life out of their defenders and he did the same recently at Manchester City.

Nicknamed Ryodinho during his spell at Feyenoord due to his similarity with the Brazilian star Ronaldinho, Miyaichi can be a lethal weapon for Arsenal when played alongside Van Persie, who can make full use of the chances he sets up. A skillful player very good at dribbling past defenders, his speed ensures that a defender once left behind, stays behind. The combination of both skill and speed is what makes him a danger to any opposition – the nightmare of the fullback.

If he lives up to what is expected of him at the Emirates, Arsenal’s title hopes next season would receive a huge boost. As Arsenal’s hunt for trophies continues, is he the missing piece in the puzzle, unsolved for over six years now? With the likes of him, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, and Jack Wilshere in their ranks, a trophy may be heading to the Emirates sooner than you think.

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