The revival of Shinji Kagawa: back to the J.League as a seasoned volante

Shinji Kagawa, who had been a key figure in back-to-back league titles with Borussia Dortmund and had become the first Japanese player to play for Manchester United, returned to Cerezo Osaka this season for the first time in 13 years, where he’d made his professional debut in 2007.

Although his position has mainly been number 10 in his entire career, Kagawa is now playing as a defensive midfielder – the position called “volante” in Japan –  in this season at Cerezo Osaka.

At the start of the season, he played as an inside midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation, but from the matchday 13, the game against Kyoto onwards, he began to play as one of the double defensive midfielders in 4-4-2 system.

In his prime days, Kagawa was a highly skillful and quick attacker who recorded many goals and assists. But at the age of 34, he has now changed his style of play considerably this year in Japan.

Kagawa was originally a defensive midfielder

Roaming the deep area of the midfield, he draws the ball out of the defensive line and uses his vision to steer the attack with his neat passing. Kagawa touches the ball frequently in order to create a rhythm for the team’s attacks. 

He also contributes much to the defense with his stamina, moving his feet constantly throughout the 90 minutes and being involved in both offensive and defensive play.

Kagawa was originally a defensive midfielder in his youth days. His performances caught the eye of Akio Kogiku, the current Cerezo Osaka manager. When Kogiku was a scout, he spotted Kagawa’s talent as a volante for a local football club and brought him to Cerezo Osaka.

However, Kagawa has shone as an attacking player after becoming a professional player. It was Levir Culpi, a Brazilian coach who was in charge of Cerezo Osaka at the time, who selected him for the top flight. Kagawa, who had liked to be a volante, was not convinced at first, but Culpi persuaded him. 

“Shinji can play in the central midfield, but he is still young. He should utilise his youth to make more moves in an attacking position. And by gaining experience in the attacking position, his game will have broadened when he wants to play as a volante in the future.

13 years on, Kagawa has shown his maturity as a volante, just as Culpi said he would.

Kagawa himself seems to be getting confident for his current role.

“I think the way I play now suits me. I started as a volante and found myself moving up to the front. Still have the feeling of that part of my game, I want to play the role of number 10 as well as of volante. That attacking part is a little lacking at the moment, but I have the feeling that I can gradually bring it out, so I want to work on it as the games go on.”

Kagawa himself has said he is lacking in the number 10 role, but he is gradually getting better at it.

He showed this in the matchday 18, game against Sapporo. In the 76th minute, he burst into the box from deep in midfield and met a cross from the right with a clever looping shot for his second goal of the season.

Controlling the entire game and showing instincts for the goal developed in Europe, Kagawa is now leading Cerezo Osaka for their maiden league victory with a different style to that of 13 years ago.