Recently, Dutch sports media Ziggo Sport invited former Dutch national team stars Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, and Marco van Basten to participate in a program and hold a discussion on the current state of Feyenoord. During the discussion, former Real Madrid attacker Van der Vaart spoke highly of Japanese striker Ueda Masaki, who plays for Feyenoord, while the other two held opposing views.
Van der Vaart said, “I think Ueda Masaki is underrated. I rate him higher than Carranza and Jiménez (the other two forwards on the team). He had a few appearances before his injury in the match against Ajax, and I believe he has more potential.” According to another media outlet, ONE FOOTBALL, Van der Vaart has consistently believed that Feyenoord should not have let Ueda go during the winter transfer window. The name of this Japanese international has been linked with several Championship and Premier League clubs.
However, Marco van Basten, once one of the best strikers in the world, did not agree with Van der Vaart’s opinion. The legendary striker stated, “Ueda is a bit too soft. He has already been injured, and if it were me, I would be hesitant to use him.” Sneijder also expressed support for Van Basten’s view.
Although opinions about Ueda Masaki are currently mixed, the striker, who once replaced Santiago Giménez as Feyenoord’s starting center-forward, was forced off the field due to an injury in the last league match. He is expected to be out until the end of the year due to a calf injury, and all assumptions will have to wait until the player returns to the pitch to be verified.
