Tadanari Lee is determined to use his loan move from Southampton to FC Tokyo as a springboard to return to the national team, but club manager Ranko Popovic has warned his new striker not to try too hard to impress.
Lee joined the capital-city side ahead of the current J. League season after struggling to make his mark at Southampton, with injuries stalling his progress in 13 months on England's south coast.
Now, after rejoining the club that raised him through its youth system, the 27-year-old has the chance to prove himself all over again. Lee scored his first goal for Tokyo in last week's 4-2 Nabisco Cup win over Kashima Antlers, but with his loan spell set to expire at the end of June, time to make an impact is limited.