After learning his trade at Barcelona's famous La Masia academy, Takefusa Kubo had to return to his country to continue his sporting career, with Barcelona's FIFA sanction leaving them unable to sign youth players.
The Spanish champions had planned to bring in the Japanese prodigy when he came of age, but now Real Madrid have scooped up Kubo from beneath their noses, with the 'Japanese Messi' set to play in Castilla in next season.
From Brazil, Kubo's national teammate Shibasaki tipped the youngster for success in years to come, hailing him as "the future of Japanese football".
At the same time, the Getafe midfielder described Kubo as an "honest and sincere" person, but suggested that he "still lacks experience in dealing with the media".