"Investment in the women's game has provided more resources for expert analysts, higher-quality video footage and better scouting networks. It means Asian talent is being scouted on a regular basis and the visibility of Japanese players, in particular, is putting them on the radar of the WSL's top clubs. After winning the Golden Boot at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Hinata Miyazawa joined Manchester United, while talented youngster Maika Hamano had bagged a move to WSL champions Chelsea a few months earlier."
""Investment will only see more Japanese players come into the league when people become more aware of their quality," Australian Blayney told BBC Sport. "They are highly technical players and extremely robust. I think they are attractive because they can fit into most tactical playing systems. "They want the ball, so if you're inserting them into a team who wants to possess the ball and connect lines, a Japanese player is an extremely good addition.""
Japan's national women's team has produced world-class talent, including the 2011 World Cup winners and 2015 runners-up. Increased investment in the women's game has delivered more analysts, higher-quality video footage and improved scouting networks, raising visibility of Asian players. Nineteen Japanese players now compete in England's Women's Super League. High-profile moves include Hinata Miyazawa to Manchester United, Maika Hamano to Chelsea, Yui Hasegawa's move from West Ham to Manchester City and Kiko Seike's debut hat-trick for Brighton. Japanese players are valued for technical ability, robustness and adaptability to possession-based tactical systems.
Read at www.bbc.com
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