Newcastle United outcast Yoshinori Muto is confident 2021 will be a 'big turning point' in his career.
The Japanese international's career has stalled since making the move to St James' Park from Mainz in the summer of 2018. Muto has netted just two goals in 28 appearances in black-and-white, and struggled to convince either Rafa Benitez or current head coach Steve Bruce.
United allowed Muto to join La Liga outfit Eibar on loan at the start of the current season, and the 28-year-old scored his first league goal in 786 days in the victory over Real Betis in November.
The striker has made 12 appearances so far for his new side, and has revealed his delight at playing regular first-team football again.
He posted on social media: "Thank you for your support in 2020! I transferred to Eibar and reaffirmed how happy I was to be able to play on the pitch.
"I feel that 2021 will be a big turning point for me. Believing that I can still grow, I will do my best.
"May 2021 be a wonderful year for you!"
Muto became the first Japanese player to score in the top divisions of England, Germany and Spain following his strike against Real Betis.
Eibar manager José Luis Mendilibar praised the striker for his goal following the win, and explained the role he must play if his new side are to remain in La Liga.
Mendilibar told Spanish outlet AS: "It is good news that he scores with us. He doesn’t understand almost anything I am saying to him, he has to have his translators.
“But today he has made us all see that he is understanding what we are asking of him, that apart from the goal he has done a sensational job and ended the game bursting. That is what we ask of him.
"I don’t know if so far he was used to doing that work, but here we are not going to ask the striker to score 15 goals, we are going to ask him to work a lot and he will have his options.
"In the end, he will score eight or ten goals, but in the end, the work is what will help us stay in this division.”
