L'Équipe published a detailed article about the career trajectory of Japanese striker Ayase Ueda of Lille. He pursued his professional football career through university football in Japan, where he extensively studied elite strikers with similar physiques and refined his goal-scoring performance with the analytical mindset of a computer.

A talented Japanese striker discovered by a legendary Brazilian number 10 is now shining in Europe. Ueda's journey easily recalls Captain Tsubasa, the protagonist of the famous manga series. However, his discoverer was not Roberto Hongo, but Zico.

Zico rarely speaks privately with players. When Ueda appeared, the Brazilian legend nicknamed "white Pelé" was sporting director of Kashima Antlers and quickly recognized the young player's unique talent: his relentless dedication to goal-scoring and his ability to be in the right place at the right time in the penalty area. However, Ueda did not make his European debut until July 2022, when he joined Cercle Brugge, shortly before turning 24.

This was not because Ueda had failed to attract attention previously. Rather, he simply chose a patient development path. While European football's talent development relies almost entirely on elite academy systems within clubs, Japan prides itself on a unique hybrid development model with two parallel pathways: one through elite academy systems at top clubs, and another through university football. Young players can continue their education while competing in high-level university tournaments, and it is not uncommon for university teams to defeat J.League teams. The only drawback of this pathway is that players typically become professionals later in their careers.

University football has produced "late bloomers" like Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton, and nearly half of Japan's national team squad has followed this path. Ueda was also drawn to this model. Additionally, his late physical development during adolescence cost him some opportunities.

He spent two and a half years at Hosei University in Tokyo, leading the team to the national championship in 2018. Ueda thrived with this gradual development approach and hoped to earn a place in the Japanese national team and the Tokyo 2021 Olympic squad through this pathway. He was still a university student when he made his senior international debut for Japan in June 2019, and did not sign his first professional contract until age 20.

However, this choice significantly reduced his chances of one day playing in the Premier League, which has always been his dream. Premier League clubs rarely sign players over 27 without prior Premier League experience, and Ueda is now 28. Last season, he scored 25 goals for Feyenoord, winning the Eredivisie Golden Boot. This summer, he finally hoped for an opportunity in England. Fenerbahçe made a €25 million offer in July, but he declined, ultimately choosing Lille.

In recent years, players like Yoro, Baleba, Gudmundsson, Meunier, Fernández-Pardo, and Boadu have used Lille as a springboard to England, and this track record impressed Ueda. Lille president Olivier Létang is quite proud of the "bargain" he struck at the end of the transfer window, as the club "only" spent €15 million to sign him. Ueda's personality also quickly impressed Létang.

Upon arriving in Europe, Ueda stated: "Since childhood, scoring goals is the only thing I care about."

Ueda grew up in a rural area of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, living "deep in the countryside." He started playing football at age 5 to follow his father's example. His father was very strict, which instilled in him the habit of dedicated training. Like Thierry Henry's father, Ueda's father was demanding, rarely praising him, especially after he returned home from matches.

Ueda is reserved in the locker room. During his time at Feyenoord, Ueda spoke about his personality: "I don't talk much. I don't like being surrounded by too many people. My teammates know that I prefer to be alone." However, he has significant commercial influence in Japan. Lille hopes to generate commercial revenue from Ueda, similar to how they leveraged Indonesian player Calvin Verdonk's influence. His interest in fashion and his relationship with blogger Yubu Nagatsuki attracted attention. Yubu Nagatsuki is now his wife, and this spring they welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

However, at Lille's Luchin training ground, Ueda shows no signs of stardom. His rather cold demeanor is also reflected in his playing style. Ueda is a devoted fan of Falcao, but his understanding of goal-scoring leans toward scientific analysis rather than instinct.

Those close to him say: "He doesn't see himself as a naturally gifted goal-scorer, but rather like a computer." He analyzes every situation methodically, forming a clear picture in his mind, then practices and corrects recurring problems until exhaustion. This is the method his father taught him. At Hosei University, he refined this approach further through scientific research.

His university professor stated: "He is a player obsessed with researching how to perform goal-scoring actions more efficiently and how to score with as few touches as possible."

An internal university document summarizing his experience shows that Ueda first carefully analyzed "his own physiological characteristics and athletic abilities," then meticulously studied "the preparation actions and cognitive processes" of elite strikers with similar physiques and without exceptional physical attributes, and integrated these into his playing style. At 1.82 meters tall, his research subjects included Henrik Larsson, Filippo Inzaghi, and Raúl.

From Larsson, he learned "the technique of moving cleverly into defenders' blind spots"; from Inzaghi, he learned "the quick reaction ability and cognitive process needed to anticipate shifts in opponent balance"; from Raúl, he learned "adaptability in the penalty area and highly rational decision-making approaches." This is just part of his research. Deep observation, memorization, and repeated practice, combined with actual match experience, particularly under the guidance of Robin van Persie at Feyenoord, helped him compensate for his relatively modest height for a center forward, and with good jumping ability and precise timing, he became an exceptionally dangerous header.

According to Japanese media estimates, in the most recent World Cup, in Japan's 4-0 victory over Tunisia on June 21, where Ueda scored a brace, one of his headers reached a height of 2.50 meters. In his first 4 matches after joining Lille, Ueda scored 3 goals; during the international break, he scored 4 goals in 4 matches for the Japanese national team. Ayase Ueda has now matured into an elite striker.

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