ARSENAL FC'S RISING SON - Ryo Miyaichi

Since Arsene Wenger took over the managerial reins at the club, Arsenal have often done their transfer business under the radar. Never was that more the case than when the Gunners seized Ryo Miyaichi from Japanese football. Clearly, Wenger had maintained his scouting connection with the country, after leaving Grampus Eight, and the Ryo signing raised the following question: had Arsenal discovered a young Japanese gem? A teenager can rarely be flawless, but could Ryo be a rough diamond? In these pages, you will find out how 'the Japanese Messi', also known in some parts as 'Ryodinho' has started to chisel out a career in professional football, after being plucked from the relative obscurity of youth team football in Japan.