He went to Uni at 18, and he studied Physical Education (with dissertations in dribbling)! He wasn’t exactly studying Psychology and then decided at 24 that football is for me… he was playing football for the University and it’s not uncommon in Japan, for players to be graduates - yet it gets mentioned every time his name is brought up! Let it go people. He didn’t sacrifice shit, he chose his path and it was part academia… not so shocking for someone from Japan - safe to say, not all assume they have easy passage to the Premier League riches. He may be a late bloomer, because of that, or he may be one of the few Japanese players to make it, because of the work he’s put in! Either way, he’s a hell of a player!
It is most definitely not a slight on his ambition or an indication of his willingness to settle for Brighton as the pinnacle.