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REACTION: Maya Yoshida signs three-year deal at Southampton

By Ethan Evans

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Maya Yoshida of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary's Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Maya Yoshida of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary's Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /
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Earlier today, Japanese international Maya Yoshida extended his stay at Saints by signing a new three-year deal.

He joins a list of players to have already committed their future to the club – with the likes of Fraser Forster, Jack Stephens and Stuart Taylor already having put pen to paper.

The central-defender’s contract was within it’s last year. With reports of a potential return to his native Japan circulating, Saints fans were eager for the club to reward the 29-year-old after his best season last year since arriving on the south coast.

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Maya Yoshida of Southampton takes a freekick during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary’s Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Maya Yoshida of Southampton takes a freekick during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary’s Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images) /

Does he deserve it?

As I before mentioned, Yoshida fulfilled a high quality season for Southampton in the 2016/17 campaign. Leading them to a rare cup final and an eighth-placed finish in the league.

Then-manager Claude Puel was a big fan of his work, even with him awarding the player with the captains armband. He earned it.

Just like that armband, I believe that Yoshida undeniably deserves this new contract. He was always that player that Saints fans were never comfortable with. A sheer lack of awareness, no aerial prowess, indecisive and horrifically error-prone.

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But how he changed!!

He was the opposite of all that last year. Alongside Virgil van Dijk, he was dependable and a great defender that was an experienced head in a team scarce where experience was scarce. Hardly error-prone and he was something that we definitely needed last season and even this….

He is a LEADER!

Jack Stephens. Saints fans have begun to comprehend the quality and potential of this player after a stand-out role last season and a good start this term. But who helped his development? Who lead him? Who supported him?

Maya Yoshida.

He’s proved himself be quite the mentor, quite the professional. Even being recognised during the player awards, scooping the President’s Choice Award. Maya Yoshida is a prime example of someone who took his chance. Someone who knuckled down and really made that position his own.

He’s definitely earned my respect, and I’m happy that he will remain at the club.

After all, he’s earned it…