Hearts sign Japan international forward from J-League side FC Tokyo

Tagawa has two caps and one goal for the Samurai Blue.

Hearts have signed Japan international forward Kyosuke Tagawa.

The Tynecastle side confirmed the signing of the 24-year-old on a four-year-deal from J-League side FC Tokyo on Thursday.

Tagawa earned two caps for the Samarui Blue in 2019 and scored in a 5-0 win over Hong Kong in what was his only start for the national team.

He played for 18 minutes in a game against China four days later, but has not been capped since as he battles it out with the likes of Celtic forwards Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda for a place in the squad.

The striker spent the last season and a half on loan to Portuguese top flight side Santa Clara where he scored seven goals including five in his first 12 games.

But he couldn’t help keep the the club in the division as they finished bottom of Liga Portugal and were relegated to the second tier last season.

Speaking to the Official Hearts Website, Head Coach Frankie McAvoy said: “We’ve been targeting a forward for a while now so we’re delighted to get Kyosuke in.

“He’s scored goals in Japan and Portugal, and for the national team, and we believe he can come in and do the same for Hearts.

“Having Yutaro here will definitely help him to settle in quickly and we’re looking for him to hit the ground running, which he’s more than capable of doing.”

Technical Director Steven Naismith said: “Kyosuke is a talented player and you just need to look at his rise through the ranks of Japan’s national set up for proof of that.

“He can play in all forward positions, so his addition gives his us some top quality squad depth.

“The squad is now beginning to take shape and everyone is looking forward to welcoming Kyosuke and starting the season positively.”

Tagawa will wear the number 30 shirt at Tynecastle.

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