Theerathon set for J-League stint

The 27-year-old signed the deal with the J-League team on Wednesday and will wear the No 30 shirt when he moves to the Noevir Stadium Kobe next month.
“I’m really happy and excited about this new adventure. I will try to help the team as much as possible and hope to succeed with the team,” said Theerathon, who will play his final match for Muangthong in the AFC Champions League game against Kashiwa Reysol in Japan on Tuesday. He will then join a pre-season training session with his new side in Okinawa. The left-back is the second Thai to sign with a J-League team, following in the footsteps of Muangthong teammate and national striker Chanathip Songkrasin, who went on loan to Consadole Sapporo last year. “I will work hard to to earn a first-team place and won’t let Thai fans down,” Theerathorn added.

Manager of Vissel Kobe, Kentaro Aita, said his scouting team had been watching Theerathorn since last April and believed the Thai could answer their needs.

“We have had trouble with scoring opportunities and we finished ninth last year. We believe Theerathorn, with his good left foot, can create openings for our strikers to score,” Aita said.

Muangthong, the runners-up in the 2017 Thai League, will soon lose another key player – Teerasil Dangda – who is set to go on loan to another |J-League team, Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Muangthong president Wiluck Lohthong admitted a tough season lying ahead for his side but he was confident by allowing his players to play in the League would benefit Thai soccer in the long run.

“Many teams in J League have shown interest in Theerathon. Vissel Kobe is a big team with several national players. So we see that this team should be good for him. To lose three good players in this season will make it tougher for our team in the upcoming Thai League." said Wiluck.