Sint-Truiden star Yuma Suzuki is back in favour after missing out on a move to Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest, with manager Bernd telling TV Limburg that the striker has ‘apologised to the squad’.
While the likes of Sandro Kulenovic, Mbala Nzola and new Sassuolo midfielder Abdou Harroui turned down offers from a club nailed to the bottom of the second-tier table with military-grade superglue, it seems Suzuki saw things rather differently.
The former Kashima Antlers star was desperate to leave the relatively small pond that is Belgian football before the September transfer deadline.
According to Voetbal Belgie, he was not exactly short of offers either.
Nottingham Forest expressed an interest, as did Cagliari, Fenerbahce and big-spending Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin.
But after training away from the rest of the Sint-Triuden squad recently, Suzuki has now returned with his tail between his legs, a hearty slice of humble pie in his lunchbox.
“He apologised to me and the squad,” says Hollerbach.
“I think he deserves a second chance, especially as he worked hard to get back to his (previous) level.”
Scoring 17 goals in 35 games last season, Suzuki drove Sint-Triuden to promotion last season, storming to the second-tier title along the way.
As things stand, it is hard to imagine anyone in Chris Hughton’s squad reaching double figures this season – let alone challenging for the Golden Boot. Another defeat at the weekend means the two-time European champions have lost five of their first six league games in 2021/22..
You get the feeling that the pressure on Chris Hughton’s shoulders right now is greater than on the surface of Saturn, especially with speculation suggesting that potential replacements are now being sounded out.
Former Sheffield United coach Chris Wilder has been linked – no great surprise there given his track record in the second tier – although former England and Chelsea captain John Terry has attempted to ‘distance myself’ from the role via an Instagram post on Tuesday morning.
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