Park Ji-sung failed to replace him thanks to the crazy recent situation of Japanese superstar who failed at Manchester United, and his European experience of perfecting himself at the age of 36

Jul 23, 2025

Park Ji-sung failed to replace him thanks to the crazy recent situation of Japanese superstar who failed at Manchester United, and his European experience of perfecting himself at the age of 36
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Shinji Kagawa is adjusting perfectly to his new position at the age of 36.

Kagawa, who made his professional debut in Cerezo Osaka in 2006, was once Asia's top superstar. Kagawa, who showed great talent when playing for Cerezo, moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Kagawa, who perfectly adapted to Jurgen Klopp's soccer as soon as he joined Dortmund, became the best attacking midfielder in the German Bundesliga. Kagawa, who won the Bundesliga for two consecutive seasons, entered Manchester United at the behest of former Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson.

In the summer of 2012, Kagawa was recognized as another Asian superstar to fill Park's place among overseas fans, as Park Ji-sung left Manchester United to move to Queens Park Rangers (QPR). Kagawa's performance in the Bundesliga was so shocking that expectations were considerable. Ferguson considered Kagawa to be Rooney's replacement after Wayne Rooney was seen aging.
Park Ji-sung failed to replace him thanks to the crazy recent situation of Japanese superstar who failed at Manchester United, and his European experience of perfecting himself at the age of 36
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However, Kagawa did not perform well for Manchester United. After Ferguson's sudden retirement, Kagawa's position was further narrowed when David Moyes took over. In the end, Kagawa admitted his failure at Manchester United after two seasons and returned to Dortmund. He showed his rusty skills at Dortmund and played until the 2019 winter transfer market.




Later, he became a journeyman in Europe. He finished his career in Europe in February 2023 after playing for Besiktas (Turkiye), Real Zaragoza (Spain), PAOK (Greece) and Sint Traudon (Belgium). Kagawa, who has reached the end of his career, returned to his home state Cerezo, where the 2023 season is approaching.

Park Ji-sung failed to replace him thanks to the crazy recent situation of Japanese superstar who failed at Manchester United, and his European experience of perfecting himself at the age of 36
Photo =Manchester United
In Cerezo, Kagawa played as an attacking midfielder, but his skills were very poor and he failed to show destructive power in the offense. In the end, Kagawa tried to change his position from the second half. It was a transition from attacking midfielder to defensive midfielder. Although he did not play many games last season, he has been in charge of the team's waist stably as he became the main defensive midfielder this season.

Kagawa said in an interview with Hasegawa Aria Jasru, who has played with Cerezo, "I feel like it's been a long time since I saw it because I was in a Bolanch position even when I joined the professional league, but I've been playing in this position in recent years, so I'm playing it without any awkwardness at all now." As a Bolanch, he is very conscious of how to coordinate the team and lead it to victory" he said.




He then said "When I tried the volanche, I desperately realized how difficult it was to pass the ball forward. This is my task and a part that needs to be further developed. Passing is more of a position now, so we need to look at it more consciously. They are playing conscious of what their colleagues want, what kind of player they are, which ball is good and where they want to receive it. I think this part is the confidence and experience I have gained in Europe, and I am playing by controlling pass timing and strength depending on the player"He showed his confidence as a veteran.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.