Newcastle Jets have signed Japanese winger Manabu Saitō for the remainder of the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Saitō arrives in the Hunter from South Korean K League 1 side Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
The 32-year-old brings the experience of six Japan caps to the Jets, to go with more than 400 appearances across stints at Japanese giants Kawasaki Frontale, Nagoya Grampus and Yokohama F. Marinos – the club where Jets boss Arthur Papas worked as an assistant under Ange Postecoglou.
Saitō – a teammate of Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak at Nagoya – emerged from Marinos’ youth team in 2008 and spent almost 10 years with the Yokohama outfit up until 2017.
A two-time J1 League Champion with Frontale, Saitō says he’s excited to contribute to his new side’s efforts to climb the A-League Men table, as the Jets begin the second half of the season in 11th place.
“It’s an honour to join the Newcastle Jets,” Saitō said. “I’m looking forward to working with the boss and joining a team that plays attacking football, and I will do my best to bring success to the club.”
After taking part in Japan’s 2012 London Olympics campaign, Saitō won the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup with the Japan national team, scoring against the Socceroos in the process.
An AFC U17 Champion in 2006, Saitō was part of Japan’s 2014 FIFA World Cup squad in Brazil, and was involved in the match day squad as an unused substitute for group stage games against Colombia, Greece and Ivory Coast.
At Marinos, Saitō won the 2013 Emperor’s Cup before going on to claim the 2018 and 2020 J1 League titles with Frontale, where he also got his hands on the Japanese Super Cup.
Alongside Australian goalkeeper Langerak, Saitō celebrate J.League Cup glory in 2021.
