Shinji Okazaki in danger of missing out on the FIFA World Cup

Leicester City “hero” Shinji Okazaki is in danger of missing out on the FIFA World Cup later this year, if his national team coach’s words are anything to go by.

It seems that Okazaki isn’t as valued by the Japanese national team as he is at Leicester, with head coach Vahid Halilhodzic hinting that he may drop the striker in favour of other players who are more potent up front.

The 31-year old has already seen himself fall down the pecking order. He has been dropped from the latest squad for the friendlies against Ukraine and Mali and must now prove that he can score more despite being third in the all-time list for his country, having netted 50 times in 111 appearances.

Sadly, even scoring more goals may now not prove to be enough, as per Halilhodzic.

"“I’m looking for players who can score goals.“Players with different qualities to Okazaki. Players who can score more goals. Players who can give me something different. I want to try other players.“Okazaki plays a different role with Leicester to how we play in the national team."

For anyone who has closely followed Shinji Okazaki at Leicester City, Japan’s decision to not pick him might be a shocking one, and a failure on their part to recognise his unique abilities.

No matter what style you play, having a workhorse like Okazaki in the side means that you’re almost operating with an extra player across all areas on the pitch.

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Japan aren’t the kind of team that’ll see too much of the ball, and when that is the case, you need someone like the Leicester City player to drop deep, defend and regain possession before flying forward.

He may not be the most threatening of men up front, but he is a versatile player nonetheless who can influence a game. If you’ve got tactical nous, you know what to do with Shinji Okazaki; if not, you’ll fail to see past his numbers.