Melbourne Knights FC Official Website The Melbourne Knights are excited to unveil their latest signing ahead of the 2022 season, Japanese national – Fuki Ishibashi.
Born in Saitama City on the outskirts of Tokyo, the Japanese talent will make the move to Somers Street from NPL Victoria 2 side – the Manningham United Blues.
Before making the move to Australia in 2021, the young centre back spent time not only playing competitive football in his homeland, but also spent time lending his talents to the juniors in various school football programs in the Kanto region.
Upon arrival, Ishibashi spent the shortened 2021 season at Manningham, featuring in all 14 games that could be played before COVID-19 struck the competition.
The 24-year-old centre back has shown his ability as a composed defender, but has comparatively displayed an attacking flair, being able to find the back of the net also in his stint with the blues.
Our latest arrival spoke on his thoughts on the club, mentioning, “I like the tradition of the club and the loyal fan base. I remember watching Japan play Croatia in the World Cup and I really liked and respected the Croatian team”. “It really feels like a family here”.
Moving to the NPL Victoria from NPL Victoria 2, Fuki notes the major difference between the two as “very competitive and physical”. “There are no easy games”.
In 2022, Ishibashi wants to make an impression on and off the field. He hopes to “become better friends with my teammates”, as this should help him “perform better on the field and help us win a trophy”.
Thank you to club partners and player sponsors DK Property Partners for their contributions. To learn more about our partners, visit www.dkpropertypartners.com
Everyone at the club welcomes Fuki to Knights Stadium and is eager to see him in action soon!
– Tom Hayes