A little smile flashed across the face of Hiroki Ito when Bayern’s new signing was asked at his unveiling about Japanese virtues. “I’m not your typical Japanese,” said the 25-year-old, referring to the belief that his compatriots are best known for their hard work and reliability. The defender would like to show those attributes in his play for Bayern, but that’s not enough for Ito – he wants more.
Ball-playing defender
Ito kicked off the week with the obligatory performance tests at Säbener Straße.
As well as full commitment, the 1.88-metre-tall arrival from VfB Stuttgart also wants to demonstrate his versatility and ability on the ball. During his unveiling on Tuesday, he often used the word “possession”. It was clear that the attack-minded defender wants to dominate the play at his new club, which is an approach that fits well with the team’s bold play. “Bayern always have a lot of possession. We need to be able to deal with periods of pressure,” said the 19-time Japan international.
Versatility his trump card
Ito has been able to prove his qualities in build-up play either from centre-back or at left full-back. His arrival means coach Vincent Kompany has a very adaptable player who boasts 97 appearances in Germany for Stuttgart over the last three years. “He has a very good left foot,” enthused sporting director Christoph Freund of his first summer signing. He’s since overseen two more exciting arrivals in Michael Olise and João Palhinha.
📺 Miss Ito’s unveiling? You can watch it in full here:
Freund praises character
Freund also praised Ito as an “open character” at the press conference and highlighted the Japanese’s potential. “He has made excellent progress in recent years, and I’m convinced that he has not yet reached his limit.” Now the Hamamatsu-born 2022 World Cup participant wants to prove himself quickly in Kompany's team. “I will try to make my contribution to success with a lot of hard work.” Hard work as a fundamental virtue - there it was, the Japanese mentality.
We have signed a very strong and versatile defender in Hiroki Ito. He has a strong left foot and can play both centre-back and full-back. Hiroki is a great, very open guy. He has made excellent progress in recent years, and I’m convinced that he has not yet reached his limit. We’re very happy that he’s with us.
Christoph Freund
After the medical checks and performance tests at the start of the week, Ito is now also getting to know his new surroundings and his new teammates during the first training sessions at Säbener Straße, which is clearly going well. Serge Gnabry has already recommended Japanese restaurants in Munich to him, Ito reported with a smile on Tuesday. So, let's hope that our new No.21 has plenty of moments to savour at Bayern.
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