Miyamoto returns from two year exile

It's been a difficult few years for Tsuneyasu Miyamoto. More or less frozen out at Gamba Osaka - despite captaining Japan at the time - in 2007 Miyamoto set off for Austria for a new challenge at Salzburg.

Hooking up with another ex-Japan international in the form of Alex, who joined Salzburg on a one-year loan deal from Urawa Reds, Miyamoto made a positive impression in the Austrian Bundesliga, before a series of debilitating injuries cut short his Austrian sojourn - on the pitch, at least - with Miyamoto failing to play a single game during the 2008/09 campaign.

Now one of Japan's most popular players is back in the J. League and he's back in the Kansai region... but not, as one might expect, at Gamba Osaka.

Instead the central defender has signed for Gamba's local rivals Vissel Kobe, who have a new coach in the form of Brazilian Caio Júnior and a totally remodelled squad.

Gone are key men Yoshito Okubo and Leandro - the former jetting off to the German Bundesliga to link up with Makoto Hasebe at VfL Wolfsburg, the latter having made the short journey to link up with Gamba Osaka - with Brazilians Alan Bahia and Marcel and ex-Kawasaki Frontale striker Kazuki Ganaha arriving in their stead.

Miyamoto's arrival cushions the blow for Vissel, after they failed in their bid to lure talismanic Yokohama F. Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa away from Nissan Stadium.

Unfortunately for Omiya Ardija - who also tabled a NTT-backed mega-deal for the Japan stalwart - they are left empty-handed, with Nakazawa opting to stick it out at his beloved Marinos, despite the club's problems on and off the pitch. 

Nakazawa now looks set to link up with Japan team-mate Shunsuke Nakamura at Nissan Stadium, with Nakamura expected to leave Scottish giants Celtic when his contract expires in June.

They represent the kind of personnel that Omiya Ardija can only dream of, with the Squirrels instead having to make do with Croatian defender Mato Neretljak, signed from K-League giants Suwon Bluewings.

Also moving to Japan are a plethora of Koreans, with ex-Pohang Steelers midfielder Park Won-Jae one of many to have inked a J. League deal, as he likewise moves to Saitama to line up at Omiya Ardija next season.

Speaking of next season, there are now less than 50 days until the 2009 campaign kicks off! I know because I checked the handy countdown clock over at the S-Pulse UK Ultras site, which saves me the laborious task of figuring these things out in my head.

The 2009 version of the J. League looks like it will be bigger and better than ever.

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto is back. Soon enough, the football will be too.