Leeds United will only have one player representing them at the World Cup this summer. Pontus Jansson will be at the tournament with Sweden, but Japanese midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi had also hoped to join him in Russia.
Unfortunately, that will not be the case. The midfielder has been dropped from the final cut for the Samurai Blue and will spend the summer with Leeds.
There has already been some conjecture over what this might mean for Ideguchi going forward. Many have been wondering if his lack of a World Cup appearance could hinder his work permit chances. That is not an issue. As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post in January, the midfielder has already been granted the necessary documentation to play in the UK.
However, it is still a huge blow for the 21-year-old. When Leeds signed him from Gamba Osaka in the winter it looked a great deal. Costing a fee in the region of £500,000, according to the Sun, Ideguchi looked a certainty for the Japan World Cup squad at the time.
However, Leeds’ decision to send him on loan to sister club Cultural Leonesa in Spain backfired. He was not fancied at the Segunda Liga side. The midfielder played just 108 minutes of league football for the club, who could still be relegated this weekend.
His move to Leeds has certainly not gone to plan yet and now it appears to have cost him a place at the World Cup.
This summer will, therefore, be massive for the player who remains immensely talented and a bright hope for the future at Elland Road. In hindsight, considering how Leeds’ season capitulated, it was probably a mistake not to involve him in the Championship immediately.
The Spain move was always temporary and, as such, the manager at Cultural never saw Ideguchi as an important member of the team. Had he been at Leeds, he would have played more first-team football and in weeks when not included in the squad could have at least played in the successful under-23 team at Thorp Arch.
Leeds played this one wring and, unfortunately for Ideguchi, he has paid the price. Hopefully, with his work permit secure, he can have a better season at Leeds in 2018-19 and fight his way back into the international plans for his nation.