Southampton

Kuryu Matsuki

A central midfielder entrusted with the captaincy of his country's youth sides before he had even established himself at club level, a responsibility rarely handed to a player without genuine trust from his coaches. Southampton signed a midfielder with leadership already built into his record.
Japan Southampton MID
Appearances
8
Goals
1

Season Snapshot

Minutes played
552
69.00 per match
Assists
1
Key passes
5
Pass accuracy
84%

Season Stats

Appearances
8
Minutes played
552
Goals
1
Assists
1
Key passes
5
Accuracy
84%

League Rankings

Among EFL Championship 2026/27 midfielders

Assists
48th of 56
Key passes
63rd of 147
Pass accuracy
70th of 150
Goals
37th of 60
😈 Bad Boys #102 of 467
👑 Assist Kings #114 of 421
🎯 Pass Master #139 of 554
💪 Workhorses #182 of 434
👻 Ghost Players #215 of 434
img EFL
SOU
SOU
13:00
Sun 11 Oct
POR
POR
img EFL
NOR
NOR
19:45
Wed 14 Oct
SOU
SOU
img EFL
SOU
SOU
15:00
Sat 17 Oct
BOL
BOL
img EFL
WHU
WHU
15:00
Sat 24 Oct
SOU
SOU
img EFL
SOU
SOU
15:00
Sat 31 Oct
QPR
QPR

Kuryu Matsuki, The Midfielder Trusted To Lead

A young midfielder handed the captaincy of his country's youth sides before he had a settled club career.

Matsuki captained his country's youth side at a World Cup, a job that goes to a player coaches trust to organise others and take responsibility in the biggest moments rather than simply to the most gifted individual in the squad. He was also named the best young player in his region's confederation the same year. That combination of leadership and quality persuaded Southampton to bring him to England.

A player raised on captaincy and continental honours at youth level still has to prove all of that translates into a senior team that is not built entirely around him. He chose to develop in his home league for longer than many of his contemporaries before making the move abroad, following the path of a respected countryman before him. Whether that patience produces a smoother transition into Championship football remains to be seen.

The Rest Of The Squad

27 players

Goalkeepers

1
Daniel Peretz
Age 26
8 apps
32
Aaron Ramsdale
Newcastle United · Age 28
0 apps
25
George Long
Age 32
0 apps
31
Jamie Jones
Age 37
0 apps

Defenders

14
James Bree
Age 28
8 apps 1a
3
Ryan Manning
Age 30
8 apps 1g 1a
15
Nathan Wood
Age 24
7 apps
13
Keven Schlotterbeck
Age 29
6 apps 1g
5
Jack Stephens
Age 32
4 apps
34
Welington
Age 25
2 apps 1g
39
Joachim Kayi Sanda
Age 19
0 apps
2
Mads Roerslev
Age 27
0 apps
6
Zach Abbott
Nottingham Forest · Age 20
0 apps

Midfielders

10
Finn Azaz
Age 26
8 apps 3g 4a
4
Flynn Downes
Age 27
8 apps 2a
7
Léo Scienza
Age 28
8 apps 2g 2a
30
James Ward-Prowse
Burnley · Age 31
7 apps 1g 1a
26
Cameron Bragg
Age 21
6 apps 1a
18
Tom Fellows
Age 23
6 apps 1g
23
Samuel Edozie
Age 23
5 apps 1a
29
Romeo Akachukwu
Colchester United · Age 20
1 app
53
Barnaby Williams
Age 19
0 apps
8
Caspar Jander
Age 23
0 apps

Forwards

9
Cyle Larin
Canada · Age 31
8 apps 7g
28
Divin Mubama
Stoke City · Age 21
8 apps 1g 1a
11
Lewis Dobbin
Preston North End · Age 23
7 apps
40
Princewill Ehibhatiomhan
Salford City · Age 20
0 apps
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