Cools first M'sian to sign for J1 League side
Harimau Malaya captain Dion Cools has joined J1 League side Cerezo Osaka from Thai League club Buriram United. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR : Harimau Malaya captain Dion Cools has become the first Malaysian footballer to sign for a Japanese top-flight club.
J1 League side Cerezo Osaka, currently eighth in the standings, today announced that they have signed the 28-year-old defender.
'Cools will bolster the squad as Cerezo Osaka prepare for the second half of the J.League season,' said the club in a Facebook post.
Cerezo Osaka last won major silverware in 2017, when they clinched both the Emperor's Cup and J.League Cup.
Cools joins Cerezo Osaka from Thai League side Buriram United, which he helped win multiple domestic titles and last season's Asean Club Championship.
While Malaysians Luqman Hakim Shamsudin (YSCC Yokohama), Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak (Fagiano Okayama) and Wan Zack Haikal (FC Ryukyu) have played in Japan, they featured in lower leagues.
In a post on X, J.League said Cools has proven himself both at Buriram and with Harimau Malaya.
'Welcome to the J.League! To all our fans in Malaysia – don't miss this exciting new chapter in Japan!' it said.
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