Representing Chelsea, Man City, and further, the number of players representing the Asian nation in the English top-flight has further than doubled.
Before the 2023- 24 Women’s Super League season began, there had only ever been eight Japanese players in the division’s 12- time history. Fast-forward to moment, and that aggregate has further than doubled in lower than two times, with Australia, Sweden, Ireland and the Netherlands the only countries outside of the United Kingdom with further players in the WSL right now than the Asian nation.
These players are taking center stage on a daily base, too. Last Friday, Fuka Nagano bagged a thing and help as Liverpool shocked Manchester United at Anfield. A day later, Aoba Fujino skyrocketed a shot beyond Chelsea‘s Hannah Hampton to draw Manchester City‘s position in the League Cup final. also, on Wednesday, in a rematch of that clash in an all-English Champions League quarter-final, Yui Hasegawa’s remarkable countenance proved vital in the move that allowed Vivianne Miedema to double City’s first-leg advantage.
At first, Japanese players only left home fleetingly, playing a sprinkle of games in England, the U.S., or away ahead in utmost cases returning home to see out their careers. That has changed drastically in the last many times and it’s to benefit of not only the WSL, but other leagues across the globe and, crucially, the national team itself.
