Happy birthday, Daichi Kamada!
Our Japanese sensation Daichi Kamada celebrates his 29th birthday today (5th August).
The Japan international joined Palace a year ago to link up once more with Manager Oliver Glasner, whom he had starred under at Eintracht Frankfurt.
The midfielder duly declared, in his first Palace TV interview, his intention to “make a new history with the team.
One FA Cup final victory – and a first-ever major trophy for Crystal Palace – later, Kamada’s first year has seen him remain true to his word.
“I thought the project was a great fit for me, and it would be fantastic to make a new history for Crystal Palace, which I think is the main reason for me to come here.”
Indeed, looking back, Kamada’s first Palace TV interview was eerily prescient, with the midfielder going on to say: “I think one of the team’s main objectives is to qualify for next season’s European competition, and I hope I can contribute to that.
“When I was in Germany, my Frankfurt team tended to make great progress in the cup competitions. So in that sense, the cup competitions will be a good chance to win a trophy with Crystal Palace too, and I would like to play in this team with the aim of winning a big title like that.”
You can rewatch Kamada’s first Palace TV interview below – happy birthday, Daichi!