Chris Hogg has insisted that Yu Hirakawa could be “one hell of a player” for Bristol City after the Robins announced the permanent signing of the Japanese youth international earlier this week.
Hirakawa joined the Reds on an initial season-long loan from Machida Zelvia last July, becoming Liam Manning’s second summer signing after Fally Mayulu moved to the West Country from Rapid Vienna. In his first eight months as a Robin, the 24-year-old managed to score two goals, against Middlesbrough and Preston North End and lay on two assists for his teammates in 29 league matches.
City had always intended to make the winger’s stay at Ashton Gate permanent and having shared that plan with supporters in their January squad update, the Reds confirmed early on Monday morning that Hirakawa had put pen to paper on a contract until the summer of 2028.
Speaking to the media for the first time after the permanent transfer was announced, Reds assistant head coach Hogg was keen to praise the 24-year-old for his start in City colours while also shedding some light on how he’s adapted to the Championship and England as a whole.
“I’ve spoken before about Yu, he’s great,” Hogg told Bristol Live on Friday afternoon. “He’s a credit to himself and his family the way he’s come over and adjusted to England which honestly couldn’t be any further away from what he’s used to.
“His English is slowly getting better. I know Liam sat on a call with him the other day with his language instructors and we’re trying to help that process. He’s a big part of the group, the lads love him and he’s a real good character. I think again, he probably feels like he’s on his third season really in the last 18 months with the amount of football and the amount of time he’s had to play, obviously over the different countries as well.”
Having missed the first three games of the Championship season with an ankle injury sustained at the Olympic Games, Hirakawa started 13 of City’s next 20 Championship, often being deployed as a winger in Manning’s 4-2-3-1 system. However, the 24-year-old has found starts hard to come by in the last few months, only being named in the initial line-up once in the Reds’ last 10 league games, as an attacking midfielder against Sheffield Wednesday.
The timing of the J-League season partnered with last summer’s Olympics and the beginning of the Championship campaign has meant that the winger hasn’t had a genuine break in over 12 months. While Manning has been willing to throw Hirakawa into the mix, he has also admitted there is less pressure on his shoulders given his recent workload.
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Although Hogg has conceded that both he and the City head coach will have to continue to manage the winger’s minutes between now and the end of the season, he thinks it will provide a platform for him to hit the ground running after a full pre-season.
“I think he’s had a period where he’s been out of the team which has been good for him to adjust, rest and see the demands,” explained the Robins’ assistant head coach.
“It’s up to us really to pick the times when to use him and when not to use him to give him a little bit of a break hopefully in the summer and then get him to come back firing. He could be one hell of a player for the football club.”
Hirakawa could make his first City appearance following his permanent transfer when the Reds travel to The Den to face Millwall on Tuesday evening.
Having exited the FA Cup, the Robins have a rare free weekend without a fixture before the clash with Alex Neil’s side kickstarts a run of four games in just 11 days.