VVV Venlo may have taken its eye off the ball when it opted not to sign Shinji Kagawa.

But the Dutch second-division side cashed in on the sale of both Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida, and chairman Hai Berden says the club is happy to continue offering a stepping stone to Japanese players hoping to make it big in Europe.

Thailand-based striker Robert Cullen also played for Venlo, London Olympic attacking midfielder Yuki Otsu is still with the club and Berden has been combining other business with a scouting mission in Japan to find young talent looking to replicate the success enjoyed by Honda.