Shota Kaneko revealed he wished he could have stayed at Shimizu S-Pulse to help them out of their present situation, after the club announced his loan to Tochigi SC on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old has been at IAI Stadium since 2014 but has so far failed to break into the first team, only making five appearances this term.

“I worried a lot about making this decision with the team in such a difficult situation, but I’ve decided to accept this transfer,” Kaneko commented.

“I want to play well at Tochigi SC and return to S-Pulse next year a better player.”

The striker could feature for his new team as soon as Sunday, when MEIJI YASUDA J2 League outfit Tochigi host fellow strugglers FC Gifu in a crucial clash for survival in the second tier.

Kaneko’s loan will conclude on January 31, 2016.