Cercle Brugge’s scoring sensation Ayase Ueda given tactical instructions via smartphone translator | OneFootball

Ayase Ueda has taken the Pro League by storm this season. The Japanese international has scored an impressive 17 league goals in 33 games for the Green and Black, even after a slow start to the season as he got used to living in Belgium. Despite this, and his growing grasp of the English language used to communicate at Cercle, the clubs assistant coach Jimmy De Wulf revealed in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad that the striker was still being given tactical instructions in an unconventional way. De Wulf said ‘Language is a barrier, but he is learning English now and things are improving already. For tactical matters we still use the translator on the smartphone, but given his performance he seems to understand everything quite well’.

Ueda’s acclimatisation into life at Cercle suddenly improved when he was able to eat the food he regularly fuelled up on at home in Japan. After a switch in diet back to his usual food, the club noticed that they began to see a very different striker, closer to the one they had scouted.

The 24-year-old is certainly going to be of interest to many clubs this summer, as he has shown clinical finishing alongside a physical profile that combines speed with strength. He has also benefited from the unselfish play of fellow striker Kevin Denkey. The Togolese international is leading the club’s assist charts with seven, while he has also scored nine goals himself.

Cercle Brugge have to win on the final day to give themselves a chance of playing in play-off two. However, they face a Zulte Waregem side that also need to win if they are to have any chance of remaining in the Pro League.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson