Words: Michael Flynn

Sunshine Coast FC have confirmed two Japanese visa players for their 2015 PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland squad.

22-year-old attacker Kenya Takahashi, a former Yokohama Marinos youth player, and 23-year-old defender Takumi Kinoshita, who spent last season with lower division German club FC Inde Hah, will join the squad in January.

The pair will replace last season’s Japanese imports – Schoichi Koshimizu, Chiharu Kosuge and Futa Nakamura– who have all departed the club.

The signings continue Fire’s preference for visa players scouted via Sunshine Coast FC Managing Director Noel Woodall’s coaching contacts in Japan.

Fire coach Paul Arnison said he was confident the pair will provide the additional quality required to return the club to the PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland top four in 2015 after reviewing footage of the players.

“I spoke to Noel during the week and he told me he had been looking at a centre back and had identified a striker,” Arnison explained.

“He sent me a link for the striker on YouTube and he looked really sharp and he looked lively. From what I saw in the clips he looks okay.”

Arnison added that the interest Woodall takes in player recruitment was not a cause of concern for him as a coach as he continues to refine his squad for the season ahead.

“Noel will come down and have a look at the players, but he’s the one paying out the money and wants to make sure we’re not just getting anyone in,” Arnison explained.

“It has to be right for the football club and the right type of character of player, and if Noel doesn’t feel it’s right then he is well within his rights to say no and we move on to someone else.”

Although it is still early doors, Arnison said he was confident that Fire can improve on last year’s eighth place finish.

“We struggled last year when we lost quite a few senior players, but what we did have last year is we had loads of kids come through who gained valuable experience playing NPL.”

“It’s getting tougher every year, so hopefully we can get those boys who played last year get a little bit stronger and know the league a little bit more and it will give us a little bit more experience this year,” he concluded.

Takahashi and Kinoshita join promoted youth player Jacob Fulluck as the only confirmed signings for Fire’s 2015 squad, with more announcements expected in the new year.