Zion Suzuki kept his first clean sheet for new club Sint-Truiden against KV Mechelen at the weekend. The side won 2-0, with German head coach Thorsten Fink praising the 21-year-old Japanese goalkeeper for his performance when addressing the team after the game. The youngster made seven saves as he denied Mechelen, showcasing why he was on the radar of top clubs like Manchester United. Ultimately, it was the guaranteed game time that Sint-Truiden offered him that saw him move to Belgium instead of England.
Fink has clearly been impressed, stating that he will be the sides first choice goalkeeper over regular Daniel Schmidt, another fellow Japanese shot stopper. Despite some nervy moments, Suzuki is showing that when it comes to shot stopping he is clearly very talented. In three matches he has already made 16 saves, with a save percentage of 84.2% according to FotMob. The youngster is also required within the Canaries system to play out from the back. While this does need some work, his numbers are not too bad. Against Mechelen he made 30 of his 41 passes, with eight accurate long balls out of 19 attempts.
Sint-Truiden should be a side on people’s radar this season. They play entertaining football and have plenty of outfield prospects that are beginning to catch the eye, such as Jarne Steuckers. In goal, Suzuki’s Manchester United links should attract plenty of viewers who want to see what the goalkeeper is all about. So far so good for former Urawa Red Diamonds man.
