'Alien' Morimoto finds new home at Novara
Reuters - Tuesday 12 July 2011, 05:26
TOKYO - Japan striker Takayuki Morimoto
has joined newly-promoted Novara from Italian Serie A rivals
Catania, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.
"Calcio Catania have sold Takayuki Morimoto to
Novara Calcio on a co-ownership deal," Kyodo news agency quoted
a statement from Catania as saying.
The shaven-headed 23-year-old, dubbed "Alien" by his
international team-mates, had been at Catania since 2006 after
moving from Tokyo Verdy.
However, Morimoto, the youngest player to score in Japan's
J-League at 15, had asked for a quick transfer after appearing
in just 12 games last season.
His star plummeted within months of being tipped as Japan's
top strike weapon after scoring twice in their 2-1 win over
Guatemala.
A crisis of confidence followed as he was left out in the
cold by Catania and lost his Japan place as a result.