Sugawara out to make an impression
Having scored on his first outing as a Saints player in the 7-1 pre-season friendly win over Eastleigh, Yukinari Sugawara is determined to show his quality to his new teammates.
The full-back played the full second half for Russell Martin’s side, scoring the goal of the night by dispatching a strike from 25 yards out.
Off to a flying start in red and white, the Japan international feels he is only getting started.
“I need to convince my teammates with my quality on the pitch, so I need to show my strengths on the pitch so that means I have to make some chances or score.
“I scored today so I’m happy with that but I need to do more, that’s not good enough and I’m not satisfied yet so I have to work more. It was better than I expected, I made some good runs behind the defence, so I feel good but I’m getting better, I’m on my way.
“I didn’t worry about scoring today because I just trained three or four days with the team but I wanted to give everything, so to score I’m super happy with that.”
Now heading to Spain with the rest of the first team for a week-long training camp in Spain, Sugawara is looking forward to getting to know his fellow Saints.
“Being with the team is a really important thing. I’ve only spent five days with the team, maybe we don’t know each other exactly, so I have to talk a lot more outside the pitch and on the pitch also, so one week it’s going to be important for me to show myself and to know them.
“Maybe I have to sing a song? So I’ll have to think of something, but I like to do something fun with my teammates. I’m looking forward to training and being together as a team and I’m ready for that with some good weather.”
