There is a new star in town, but Manabu Saito is no stranger to Australia or the A-Leagues.
Newcastle Jets have turned to the former Japan international and two-time J1 League champion to boost their bid for finals football this Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Saito brings a wealth of experience following his time with three giants of Japanese football – Yokohama F.Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale and Nagoya Grampus – as well as Suwon Bluewings in South Korea.
“He’s been training six days a week, two times a day,” said former Marinos assistant and current Jets head coach Arthur Papas, who is hopeful Saito will be involved against Perth Glory next week.
“He’s very motivated to come here, he’s already watching all our games, our footage, communicating back and forth.
“He can play anywhere across our frontline, he looks like a really promising signing for us.”
KEEPUP looks at the 32-year-old forward’s connection to the A-Leagues.
Melbourne Victory and the ACL
Saito emerged from Marinos’ youth team in 2008 and spent almost 10 years with the Yokohama outfit up until 2017.
In 2014, Saito – who represented Japan at the 2012 London Olympics and was an used squad member at the 2014 FIFA Men’s World Cup – went up against Melbourne Victory in the AFC Champions League.
Kevin Muscat’s Victory and Marinos were drawn in Group G, alongside Guangzhou Evergrande and Jeonbuk Motors.
Victory – boasting Tom Rogic, Mark Milligan and Archie Thompson – and Marinos both failed to progress beyond the group, but Saito did go head-to-head with Victory at AAMI Park on March 18, 2014.
Saito and Marinos were on the receiving end of a 1-0 defeat on matchday three in Melbourne – a Kosta Barbarouses goal taking down the Japanese visitors.
Working under a former Melbourne City boss
Before Erick Mombaerts took charge of Melbourne City in 2019, he was in the Marinos hotseat.
The charismatic Frenchman was eventually replaced by Ange Postecoglou after spending three years with Marinos in Yokohama, where the club finished as high as fifth under his management.
Before Saito swapped Marinos for rivals Frontale heading into the 2018 season, he flourished with Mombaerts at the helm, scoring a J1 League career-high 10 goals in 2016, having netted seven times the year before.
In 2016, Saito – who suffered a serious knee injury in 2017-18 – was named in the J1 League’s Best XI.
Papas in Japan
Newcastle boss Papas and Saito weren’t together in Yokohama, unfortunately.
Papas won the 2019 title with Ange Postecoglou’s Marinos, when Saito was playing for rivals Frontale.
But Saito came up against his old club the Marinos during Papas’ time in Japan alongside Postecoglou.
Away from Yokohama, Saito also faced Kevin Muscat’s Marinos during his time with Nagoya while at Suwon in South Korea – the veteran went head-to-head with ex-Melbourne City defender Harrison Delbridge’s Incheon United.
Playing with an Aussie record-breaker
Mitch Langerak has taken the J1 League by storm since joining Nagoya Grampus in 2018.
The former Melbourne Victory goalkeeper broke his own J1 League clean sheet record in back-to-back seasons.
Langerak and Saito joined forces at Nagoya in 2021 before the latter eventually departed for Suwon last year.
The pair both played in the 2021 J.League Cup final as Nagoya defeated Cerezo Osaka 2-0 – it was the first time the club had won the trophy.
