Premiership: Inamoto cannot escape the spotlight

Arsenal new boy Junichi Inamoto has flown out with the Gunners for their pre-season training in Germany and Austria.

And he knows there is no escape from the spotlight that will be focused on him from now on.

Inamoto, 21, was welcomed to Highbury in a blaze of flashlights and questions from the Japanese media.

He can expect dozens of reporters to follow his every move when he pulls on the famous red shirt next week in matches against Turkey's FC Kocaelispor, Spain's Real Mallorca and Italy's AS Roma.

And once back in North London he will have to face at least one weekly press conference with reporters from his own country before every Arsenal match.

It is not something that established Arsenal stars like skipper Tony Adams, England goalkeeper David Seaman or even Dutch ace Dennis Bergkamp would relish.

But Inamoto realises his commercial value - even though his representatives, including Paul Gascoigne's adviser and lawyer Mel Stein refused to discuss the subject - and he accepts he is a pioneer for the soccer-crazy Land of the Rising Sun as he begins his new life among the muck and nettles of the English game.

He has become another role model for millions of youngsters back home who still celebrate the feats of Hidetoshi Nakata, the first Japanese player to make the grade in Europe - initially with Roma and now with Serie A rivals Parma, who recently paid a reported £18m for his transfer.

That price-tag killed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's interest in competing for Nakata's signature.

Instead he has now turned to Japan's second-most famous player.

Wenger was first alerted to Inamoto's blossoming talent when the Frenchman was just about to leave J-League club Nagoya Grampus Eight en route to Highbury in September 1996.