Awareness. Imagination. Technique.
Each of these qualities are what Man United fans thought Shinji Kagawa would bring to Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Borussia Dortmund in 2012.
Alas it wasn’t to be. A combination of the player not quite acclimatising to the hustle and bustle of Premier League football and an unusually prolific change of coaches meant the Japanese playmaker never quite fulfilled his potential at the club.
But now he’s back at Dortmund and showcasing some of his best work. When on form, few can match the 26-year-old for ingenuity and élan. He can already boast five assists in the Bundesliga (only Douglas Costa has more) – including three in Dortmund’s win over FC Augsburg.
The best – to set up Marco Reus – is below. His awareness, imagination and technique are there for all to see and admire. Three qualities that Louis van Gaal’s United – and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool – are sorely lacking. Perhaps the latter may change that.
