Wolves have had one Japanese player sign at Molineux, but he never got a chance to make his mark.
Japan pulled off an upset against Brazil on Tuesday afternoon, beating Carlo Ancelotti’s side 3-2. Wolves midfielders Andre and Joao Gomes were on the bench watching their side fall to defeat.
It was a classic Japanese performance. We have become quite used to seeing their national team defy the odds on the international stage, and this Brazil clash was no different.
But it did get us thinking about a forgotten Wolves man, the only Japanese player to ever join the club.
Hayao Kawabe’s forgettable Wolves career
Wolves signed Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe back in 2022, when Bruno Lage was at the helm.
The signing of Kawabe is a bit of a head-scratcher, looking back.
A technical midfielder with an eye for a pass and for goal, Kawabe was signed for a small fee of £500,000, but was loaned back to his former club, Swiss side Grasshopper, just two weeks later.
And that would be the sum of his Wolves career.
He stayed at Grasshopper for another full season and was then sold to Belgian side Standard Liege, never to be seen again in Wolverhampton.
Jay Bothroyd spoke highly of Kawabe and rightfully so
When his move to Wolves was announced, Kawabe received a glowing review from former Wolves striker, Jay Bothroyd.
The two played together at Japanese club Jubilo Iwata, and Bothroyd liked what he saw.
As Birmingham Mail reported, Bothroyd had nothing but good things to say: “I always said he has all the tools to play in England. I think he can be successful if he adapts to the physicality of the English game.
“I said from the first day I saw him at Jubilo he can be one of the best in Japan and he proved it. He proved he can play in Switzerland and now he has to prove it in England. I think he can!”
Bothroyd wasn’t wrong either.
Wolves decided not to give Kawabe a run during his time at Molineux, but his track record in Europe suggests that was a mistake.
In three seasons in the Swiss and Belgian first divisions, Kawabe racked up 39 goal contributions. Yes, it’s not the same level as the Premier League, but that shows an ability to create and score that Wolves could benefit from.
What could have been.