On 27 October, Rossoneri coach Massimiliano Allegri announced that Milan had come to an agreement to sign playmaker Keisuke Honda on a Bosman from Russian outfit CSKA Moscow. The deal was made official on 4 January when the Japanese international arrived much to the excitement of many of his compatriots who had made the journey to welcome him to the Italian fashion capital.
Nicknamed the “Prince of Osaka” by his new club in their promotional materials, he has now been given the no. 10 jersey which had become vacant following the sale of Kevin-Prince Boateng to Schalke this past summer.
The 27-year-old will certainly have quite a bit of pressure on him though, as the iconic no. 10 was previously worn by the likes of Rui Costa, Zvonimir Boban, Clarence Seedorf, and Dejan Savicevic. However, for the player, signing with the side described as “il club più titolato al mondo” (which any serious Diavolo fan worth his or her salt would have seen on their favourite player’s jersey either live, on television, or having purchased a replica) was a childhood dream come true.
Big ambitions from an early age
In fact, back in 1999, the then 13-year-old Honda had outlined his goals in an essay written for a school project. Among his goals were featuring for a Serie A club and wearing the no. 10 jersey, playing for the Samurai Blue in a World Cup, winning the quadrennial tournament after trouncing Brazil (by a score line of 2-1) and, like any good son, becoming wealthy beyond his wildest dreams to provide for his family.
So far, of course, he has completed three out of four—having received two “Man of the Match” awards during Japan’s run at the 2010 edition in South Africa, naturally having more than enough to take care of his parents, and inheriting the famed shirt often worn by Serie A legends such as Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Baggio, and Antonio Di Natale.
Still, with many a player often claiming that “he has dreamed of playing of so-and-so club since he was old enough to even dream”, it is always refreshing to actually see some evidence to back up that claim, as has been done with the then middle-school aged player’s writing assignment. In his first words as a new player, he briefly outlined his hopes and ambitions with his new side, notably stating as “an attacking player, I would like to score many goals and provide assists” as the struggling side tries to climb up the league table.
Honda's first words as a Milan player:
This will certainly be encouraging for the team’s supporters who had previously thought that the dark days were well behind them after last season’s renaissance saw them go from flirting with relegation to clinching a third-placed spot seemingly against all odds. While given the massive gap that separates third place Napoli from Milan is a disheartening 17 point one, there are still 20 games remaining in the season. Hence, theoretically there is still time for Allegri’s troops to mount a late charge towards drastically improving their fortunes by the end of the season.
Following yet another disappointing loss (their sixth so far) in the Derby della Madonnia in the last game of 2013, they have started off 2014 on the right foot, with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Atalanta that had Kaka reach a personal milestone as his brace saw him reach 101 goals so far for Milan.
Confident and ambitious, yet realistic and humble at the same time
It also takes a certain kind of confidence to specifically request such an important number, and that is exactly what Honda revealed during his first press conference. Yet, in the same vein, the Osaka-born player recognises with such a big position naturally comes huge responsibility, and he has already admitted to some pre-match jitters, especially given the “tough” nature of calcio’s fans: “Every country I’ve played in is different, but Italian fans are a tough [lot]. I’m concerned that they will jeer me” after having a chance to see his new colleagues in action in their first league clash of 2014.
Last year, another January signing arrived to a side that was experiencing their worst start to the domestic campaign in over 80 years and immediately set about taking over the reins from Stephan El Shaarawy to pull the Rossoneri up the table. This season, however, Mario Balotelli has been largely disappointing, with the 23-year-old continuously being linked with a reunion with former boss Jose Mourinho at Chelsea during the transfer window despite his numerous denials.
In addition to his personal ambitions, Honda has some big expectations with his new side, noting that he would like to achieve success in the Champions League (of the future, as he will not be able to feature due to restrictions) and has expressed his excitement at linking up with star duo Balotelli and Kaka. Moreover, he has also received some glowing endorsements from his own national team boss as well as new teammate Nigel De Jong, both of whom feel that he certainly has the quality to help right the ship and inject some new life into the struggling side.
So, with that said—Benvenuto, Keisuke. The red (and black) carpet has been rolled out for him and he is now living his dream, but now it is time to roll up his sleeves and get to work.
