BARCELONA, SPAIN – Japan midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake has spoken of his pride in joining Spanish La Liga side Sevilla, but admitted he has a fight on his hands to win a regular place in the team after being unveiled by the Europa League champions on Tuesday.
“I am proud to be joining a big club like Sevilla,” Kiyotake, who last month completed his move and signed a four-year deal, told a press conference.
“Getting game time is one objective and then hopefully I will be able to score goals and get assists.
“I am going to play with players who play at a level I have yet to experience and have to try and nail down a place in the team,” said the 26-year-old.
A product of Oita Trinita’s youth scheme, Kiyotake moved from Cerezo to Nuremberg in the summer of 2012, but suffered relegation in his second season.
A similar story followed with Hannover, suffering another drop in his second season in the last campaign, in which he scored five goals and assisted with six in 21 games.
Sevilla won its third straight Europa League title in May and will compete in the Champions League in the upcoming season. It finished seventh in La Liga last term.
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Hiroshi Kiyotake poses during his official presentation as a Sevilla player at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on Tuesday. | REUTERS
