Exclusive:Rangers' 'technically gifted' new arrival handed 'Japanese Messi' comparison as career path explained

Yokota, 26, has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Ibrox, with the option of a further year. He will link up with Derek McInnes’ side ahead of their qualifying clash against Jagiellonia in Poland on Thursday after being included in their Europa League squad.

While Rangers are hoping to bolster their wide options further with the signing of PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech, the signing of Yokota adds strength in an area the club have been desperate to address this summer. After landing the Hannover 96 player, someone who has watched him regularly in recent years, Japan-based journalist and J-League expert Tom Parker believes he can add an extra dimension to McInnes’ side.

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“The signing didn’t really surprise me,” Parker told The Scotsman. “Yokota has something Rangers don’t really have at the moment. A) Depth on the wings. B) But also someone that is direct and can get the ball in. I know that has been a frustration for Rangers fans, especially in pre-season. With [Youssef] Chermiti and [Lawrence] Shankland, I think you’ve got good service for them there with Yokota.

“He came through at Kawasaki Frontale, but left at just 18 to pursue a career in Europe. At that time, that was a rare thing to do. It seems to be a rising thing to do now, though, with the J-League. Players now aged 18-20 are going abroad on development loans and reserve sides to gain experience in Europe and its culture. So Yokota was a little bit ahead of that trend.

“Can he adapt? The second division is ranked 32nd in world football, while the Scottish Premiership is ranked at 36. The Polish league, where he had his best season, is ranked at 11th. So, numbers-wise, this is a level he is comfortable playing at. Of course, there’s the physicality. The Scottish league is quick and can be brutal at times. For wingers, that can be tricky to adapt to. Yokota is a good dribbler and can work well in tight spaces, so I think he can bypass that physical hurdle by being so good technically. He’s going to get battered and bruised, but he’s been in Europe a long time. He knows how this works. Given the time, I think he will adapt well.

“He’s been able to develop in lots of different countries, and that has been a net positive for him, despite the fact he has hopped around. This isn’t a challenge that will faze him. If he had come straight from the J-League, the adaptation period may have taken a little more time. He’s going to want to give this his all. He’s at a huge club in a big league, and it is a huge chance for him.”

Parker also believes that Yokota can get Rangers fans off their seat this season, and says he has been compared to one of his country’s leading stars, Takefusa Kubo, who starred for the Blue Samuri at the World Cup this summer and has famously been known as the ‘Japanese Messi’ following a career that has taken him from Barcelona’s La Masia academy to Real Madrid, Villareal and, currently, Real Sociedad.

“He’s often compared to Takefusa Kubo,” explained Parker. “Mainly from a dribbling perspective and creative standpoint. He’s got a low centre of gravity, much like Kubo was when he was coming through the ranks in Japan, and La Masia as well. Of course, Kubo is one of the greatest players Japan have produced since the turn of the millennium, so it is a hard act to follow, and he hasn’t had the same career trajectory as Kubo. But stylistically, they are very similar.

“He’s a fantastic driller. Extremely good at one-on-ones, and technically gifted. He works very well in small spaces; he also couples that with creative output. In fact, he was one of the top percentile stats-wise for key passes and progressive runs, showing that he’s not only a direct, tricky and dangerous winger that can get you up the pitch, but he can also create chances.

“He’s two-footed as well, so can go either side. But his best position is right wing, but he has a little flexibility. He’s good fun to watch. He is probably a player that, on an off-day, is going to frustrate you. But when he’s on it, consistent and in good form, he’s definitely someone who will get bums off seats this season.”