Cerezo Osaka announced on Tuesday that wonderkid Jun Nishikawa has agreed to join the club in 2020. The deal was also announced from his school, Toko Gakuen High School yesterday.
Jun Nishikawa was born on February 21, 2002, in Kanagawa Prefecture and is still 16 years old, in the second year of high school. It is rare for a professional club to sign with a second grade high schooler but many domestic and overseas clubs have been watching him so Cerezo “made a formal offer exceptionally early last November” according to Daily Sports.
ごめーーーーーん！！！写真上げてしまうぜwwww！！！！！！！！！
— komagome (@06numerosix) March 5, 2019
NJ西川くん、セレッソへようこそ！！！まだまだここから、成長していくところ見せてくれ！！！ pic.twitter.com/tlM64QYZRm
Nishikawa was participating in Cerezo’s Miyazaki training camp as a trainee and played in a training match. According to El Golazo writer Hisashi Oda, “many chances were created from his play. At that time, the agreement has not been reached so I was asked by the club ‘please don’t write it now,’ but there were many things I wanted to write.”
A player who agrees to join a club can play for that club even before he officially joins if he is allowed to be registered as a JFA and J.League specially-designated player. Of course Nishikawa is entitled for it and according to abovementioned Daily Sports report, Cerezo have already sent in an application. Nishikawa is also willing to play at a professional level as a specially-designated player according to an article by writer Naoto Fujie.
Cerezo striker Ken Tokura welcomed him on Twitter, saying “I trained with him during the training camp and I felt that, of course his skills are incredible, but the mentality, which underlies them, is also great! I am looking forward to playing together again👍👍👍”