Football Robins boss hails Japan star's ability to adapt and grow on and off pitch

LIAM Manning has lifted the lid on Yu Hirakawa's off-the-pitch progress at Bristol City, explaining that the Robins winger managed to conduct his end-of-season meeting in English, having made the "huge" move to the Championship last summer.

- Daniel CARTER

Hirakawa was the Reds' second signing of the summer transfer window, joining City on an initial loan from Machida Zelvia and quickly impressed supporters after a difficult start to his time to Ashton Gate. An injury sustained whilst away at the Olympics with Japan saw the 24-year-old miss the first three league games of the campaign but goals against both Middlesbrough and Preston North End raised expectations.

Even though the Japanese youth international played a more reduced role around the turn of the new year, the Robins opted to make his stay permanent after the winter transfer window, with the winger putting pen to paper on contract until the summer of 2028. He may have only started 18 games in his first season as a City player, but Hirakawa is already a fan favourite, even being crowd-surfed around the BS3 pitch after the Reds' final day draw with Preston.