Jakarta, IO – Officially loaned to Japanese top league club Cerezo Osaka from English League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, Indonesian national team’s defender Justin Hubner became the first Indonesian player to play in the top level of Japan professional football league.
“Justin Hubner will play for Cerezo Osaka, Japan on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers until the end of this year,” wrote Cerezo, per the team’s official Instagram account @cerezo_osaka, Tuesday (12/3).
Hubner will be able to play in the 2024 J1 League in week five against Shonan Bellmare on March 30. Hubner said he is happy with the move. For him, this is a new challenge and a great momentum to hone his skills and techniques.
“I can’t wait to meet all the [Cerezo Osaka] fans and play in front of all of them. We will make this a memorable season,” said Hubner.
Previously, Hubner was captain of the Wolves U-21 team, playing in the 2020-21 season during which he played 47 matches and scored four goals.
In the 2019-22 season, Hubner also played for Wolves U-18 during which he appeared 36 times in all competitions and scored three goals.
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Meanwhile, Hubner will start playing for the Indonesian national team in 2024. He debuted in a trial match against Libya on January 15 and immediately became the key player in the 2023 Asian Cup.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ decision to loan Hubner to Cerezo Osaka was quite surprising, because Hubner almost debuted with the team, having been promoted several times to the line-up. (rr)