17 Takayuki Morimoto Position: FW Born:7-May-1988 Height/Weight:183/73 Birthplace:Tokyo Previous Teams:Verdy Jr. Youth Appearances (J1/J2):40/0 Goals: 5/0 First Appearance: 13-Mar-2004 Tokyo Verdy - vs - Jubilo Iwata (at Yamaha Stadium) First Goal : 5-May-2004 Tokyo Verdy - vs - JEF United (at Ajinomoto Stadium)

J.League Statistics Year Team Matches Goals 2004 Tokyo Verdy 22 4 2005 Tokyo Verdy 18 1 2006- Tokyo Verdy 6 0 TOTAL 46 5 SERIE A 2006/07 Catania -- -- TOTAL -- --

Takayuki Morimoto emerged as a mass media phenomenon so suddenly, and at such an early age, that it is still impossible to really say much about him as a football player. Certainly he showed a great deal of promise as a lanky, 15-year-old kid taking the pitch in 2004 and immediately setting a record as the youngest player ever to start a J.League match, and a few weeks later, as the youngest player to score a goal. But obviously it is not easy for a teenager to deal with such an enormous surge of attention and nationwide popularity. The fawning, hero-worshipping public relations overkill that pervades the Japanese sports press can mess with the mind of even the most mature and well-grounded adults. For a kid just about to enter high school, it must surely be overwhelming. After his breif flirtation with fame, Morimoto's performance on the pitch started to get increasingly spotty, and by mid-2005 we were already starting to worry that the publicity was getting to him. Fortunately, Morimoto was noticed by a scout at Italian Serie A newcomers Catania, and the team scooped him up from a recently relegated Tokyo Verdy in the spring of 2006. Morimoto was placed immediately in Catania's youth program, which is exactly where he belongs in our view. Whatever his natural gifts, the young man will need to develop a much more solid foundation as a football player, and as a young adult, before he will be ready to start playing football as a real "professional". In this sense, getting out of Japan may have been the best thing to happen to Morimoto.

As of the end of 2006, Morimoto has yet to get a chance to play for the Catania "A" team, but the reports from Italy suggest that he has really impressed the coaches with his hard work and skill in the youth team. Hopefully Catania will not try to rush him, so that when he does begin getting regular playing time, he will be able to make meaningful contributions, and be seen as a legitimate player by Catania fans, rather than just a marketing ploy. It will be interesting to watch his progress in 2007, since he should start to see action some time later this year.