Southampton, Jul 14 (IANS): Southampton FC have signed Japanese defender Yukinari Sugawara from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar on a four-year contract.

The 24-year-old has been playing professionally since the age of 17, making his debut in the J.League for Nagoya Grampus in 2018.

A year later, he made the move to Alkmaar, initially on loan, where he also gained experience playing for Jong AZ, the club’s reserve team, in the second tier.

In his five-year stay in the Netherlands, the defender amassed nearly 200 appearances for the first team, including a club-record 53 games in European competitions.

Sugawara, who has 13 caps for Japan, said: “To come to Southampton and to play in the Premier League is one of my biggest dreams since I was young, so I am really excited to be here. Last summer I played against Southampton in the pre-season. I felt Southampton played very good football with the ball; they didn’t play long balls, only short passing, they played smart.

“I felt Southampton is a really good club. When Southampton gave me an offer, I said yes after one second!”

Southampton manager Russell Martin said: “Yuki is a player we’ve watched for a long time and was our number one target in his position. He arrives at a good age with a lot of games already under his belt at a high level, including a wealth of European experience. He’s a talented footballer with a great mentality, and a character we think will be really popular with his teammates.

“You can sense his enthusiasm and determination to do well – he’s really excited to play for Southampton, not just to play in the Premier League,” he added.

The Premier League upcoming season will kick-off on August 17 and Southampton will take on Newcastle United at St. James Park on the opening day.