In 2012 Nigel Adkins’ ambitious Southampton signed two Japanese players. In January, they welcomed striker Tadanari Lee, on a free transfer from Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Then, in the summer, as they prepared for life back in the Premier League, they bought Maya Yoshida for £3m from Dutch club VVV-Venlo.

Three years on, Lee is back in the J League, with Urawa Red Diamonds. He struggled with injuries at Southampton, starting just nine games for them. Yoshida, though, is still at St Mary’s, still part of a side which has done better since he joined than anyone could have expected. He has seen two managers and far more team-mates leave but he is as important as ever to a side who are threatening, even now in mid-March, to barge their way into next season’s Champions League.

It is a story, for Southampton and for Yoshida, of hard work confounding expectations. This January Yoshida agreed a new contract, making him the first Japanese player to sign a second deal at a Premier League team. Most of his compatriots go the way of Lee and do not settle here. Yoshida, though, has done just that and sees himself now as a “pioneer” for Japanese players in England.

Yoshida in action against Liverpool

That is how he will feel tomorrow afternoon at Stamford Bridge, as his Southampton team play their biggest game of the season. They go to leaders Chelsea with no fear and the best defence in England, having conceded just 20 goals in their 28 Premier League games so far.

Yoshida admits to being surprised by just how well it is all going. “Before the season,” he says, “I thought we were going to be struggling.” But Southampton have cohered remarkably well under Ronald Koeman, which Yoshida puts down to the “good process” of replacing Mauricio Pochettino with a manager who is similarly attack-minded, if slightly more interested in defensive organisation.

So there is little prospect, even against Jose Mourinho’s likely champions, of a repeat of Yoshida’s first game in England. It was 15 September 2012 and Southampton were playing at Arsenal, their fourth Premier League match after seven years in lower divisions. Yoshida had just been signed from the Netherlands, had only trained with his new team-mates twice and did not know their names yet. Adkins put Yoshida on the bench so he could observe what the Premier League was like.

Southampton - the latest match in pictures Show all 127 1 /127 Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long curls in Southampton's fifth goal Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long added a fourth for Southampton Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his third to net the fastest ever Premier League hat-trick Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his second to double Southampton's lead Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Sadio Mane celebrates netting the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Jordi Gomez celebrates scoring his second penalty for Sunderland Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures gomez1.jpg Jordi Gomez scores his first from the penalty spot Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Tottenham left-back Ben Davies is carried off with a suspected dislocated shoulder Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Nacer Chadli calmly slots the ball into the net to make it 2-2 Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Southampton players celebrate after Graziano Pelle scores his second Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle jumps highest to head in his and Saints' second Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Erik Lamela celebrates getting Spurs level Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle pokes the ball beyond Hugo Lloris to open the scoring Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace and Maya Yoshida of Southampton compete for the ball GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton against Crystal Palace GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio mane celebrates with his Southampton team-mates after his late goal against QPR Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores a late winner in Southampton's 1-0 victory over QPR Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field after suffering a neck injury Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey celebrates his goal GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey scores for Swansea with a long-range effort GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle got Southampton off to the perfect start with an early goal. 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the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Mane celebrates with his team-mates Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Ryan Bertrand scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-0 Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Toby Aldereiweld headed home the Saints' third Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Palace scored a late consolation but Neil Warnock was booed by the home fans Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Teenager Harrison Reed started for a young Southampton team Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Roberto Martinez and Ronaldo Koeman watch the action at St Mary's Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Jose Fonte heads the ball towards goal but it was given as a Romelu Lukaku own goal Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Southampton players celebrate a crucial opener Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Graziano Pelle scores his 12th goal of the season to put Southampton in control Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Japanese defender Maya Yoshida scores his first goal for the club to hand all three points to Southampton Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Southampton boss Ronald Koeman before kick-off at Bramall Lane GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Nigel Clough angered Koeman with the Dutchman saying he didn't have 'respect' for him or the ref Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Marc McNulty pokes Sheffield United into the lead against their Premier League opponents Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 McNulty celebrates his eighth goal of the season with team-mates Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Florin Gardos was sent off late on in the game Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Sheffield United are in the semi-finals of the competition Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Southampton teenager James Hesketh had to go off after a heavy challenge from Michael Keane Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Fraser Forster smothers an early attempt from Ashley Barnes Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Sadio Mane leaps in the air to bring the ball under control Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Kieran Trippier attempts a free-kick in front of the Turf Moor crowd Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Dusan Tadic saw his penalty saved by Burnley keeper Dusan Tadic with the game still 0-0 Getty Images Southampton - 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the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Armand Traore, Steven Davis and Leroy Fer compete for the ball Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Arsenal's Abou Diaby and Southampton's Steven Davis in action during the Capital One Cup third-round tie Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Nathaniel Clyne (No 2) drives home his side's second goal past Arsenal’s David Ospina at the Emirates REX Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Alexis Sanchez delivered one of the best free-kicks of the season Getty Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama and his team mates celebrate their winning goal GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama celebrates after giving the Saints the lead GETTY IMAGES Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfriend Bony walks from the pitch after being sent off GETTY IMAGES Southampton - 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But Southampton went 1-0 down, Jos Hooiveld went off injured and Yoshida was thrown on after 28 minutes. The Saints lost 6-1. “First half, I was really, really sloppy, but the second half was more calmed down,” says Yoshida, resigned to still talking about his difficult debut two and a half years on. “It was very difficult, a tough debut, and the result was horrible.”

Yoshida has the confidence and the distance now to look back on that afternoon as a “good experience” which has made him stronger. So what is the secret? How has he come to terms with life in the Premier League better than any of his compatriots?

The first answer is obvious enough. Yoshida conducts this interview in precise, considered English, far better than it was when he first arrived. “My English was not perfect at the beginning,” he remembers. “I had been in Holland for two and a half years, and they speak very easy English, which is good for a first step. But when I came to Southampton, people spoke very quickly. If I spoke to Rickie Lambert, I didn’t understand everything. The guys from Ireland, Shane Long and Davo [Steven Davies], or Sammy Lee, it was very difficult. But after two and a half years, I can understand more and am more comfortable. Life is easier.”

Yoshida clearly has high standards. Having learned English, he is now teaching himself Spanish, so that he can speak to “50 per cent of the world population”.

He says that Lee, along with the injuries, struggled with the language. He reveals he told Shinji Okazaki, who was considering a move from Mainz to Leicester City in January, that he would have to learn English if he were to join the Foxes.

“This problem of people who cannot speak English –this is a problem with Japanese education,” explains Yoshida. “When I was young, I studied English since I was 12, in middle school and high school. But after six years studying English, people can read English, understand a little bit, but cannot speak English. It’s English for an exam, not for talking. And if they cannot speak English, there are no opportunities.It’s a shame. Some Japanese players are lazy.”

His commitment to learning the language is why Yoshida can now organise a defence, performing a role some of his compatriots cannot.

“Not all positions are the same,” he says. “The most difficult for Japanese people are striker, centre-back and goalkeeper. I am the only Japanese player playing as a centre-back in Europe – not only Japanese but Asian. Goalkeepers, there is maybe just one, my friend [Eiji Kawashima] in Belgium.There are many Japanese midfielders and full-backs, but the key positions are not as easy. You have to lead the team. If you cannot speak the language, you cannot lead the team. That is the difference between me and another position.”

The other barrier, which Yoshida has also conquered, took just as much work.

“The biggest reason is physical size,” Yoshida, who stands 6ft 1in, explains. “Gym sessions here are totally different. I am the tallest and biggest in the Japan national team but if I come here I am normal. That is the reason. Compare the difference between a Japanese striker and [6ft 4in] Graziano Pellè – he’s a monster. Fraser Forster [6ft 7in] is a monster. We don’t have players in Japan like this.”

Yoshida remembers his shock when he first saw Lambert in the gym at Southampton, and how he found the dumbbells too heavy to lift. He trains with Southampton’s full-backs, rather than the other centre-backs, but over time – especially while injured – he has bulked up, putting on 5kg of muscle since arriving at St Mary’s. He used to be able to bench press 65kg; now he can go up to 80kg.

This is the hard work – with the language and in the gym – which explains why Yoshida is still here, still an important part of Koeman’s team. He has played 57 Premier League games – more than Shinji Kagawa managed at Manchester United, or Hidetoshi Nakata at Bolton, Ryo Miyaichi or Kazuyuki Toda. Junichi Inamoto played more, for Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, but Yoshida has done what Inamoto did not, by signing a contract extension. He hopes for many more successful years on the South Coast.

“It’s a really nice thing,” Yoshida says of his new deal. “I really appreciate the work of the club, and of [representatives] Base Soccer. Extending a contract is more difficult than a first contract, and I am very happy to be here another three and a half years. But still I have to show my quality.”

Having established himself in the English game, Yoshida now wants more, not just for himself but to prove to the next generation of Japanese and Asian players that they can flourish here as well.

“If people call this success, it is not enough for me,” he says, always aiming higher for the sake of those who will follow him. “I know I am the only Japanese player in the Premier League. I want to be a pioneer, for Japanese players playing in England, but I still want more: 50 games and two goals – three including the [League] Cup – is not enough. I want to make more difficult hurdles for [the sake of the] next Japanese players.