Tsuneyasu Miyamoto's time at Red Bull Salzburg may not have been as successful as he would have liked, but the former national team captain is determined to use the experience to benefit his new Vissel Kobe teammates.
Miyamoto left Gamba Osaka for Austria in December 2006 after spending the first 12 years of his career with the Kansai club. The center back had fulfilled his ambition of helping Gamba to its first J. League title in 2005, and felt the time was right to leave when Salzburg invited him to become part of its ambitious project to make an impact on the Champions League.
His time in Austria got off to a promising start with regular appearances under managers Giovanni Trapattoni and Lothar Matthaus, but injuries eventually took their toll.