Yu Hirakawa impressed as Bristol City secured their place in the Championship play-off places with their draw against Preston North EndYu Hirakawa joined Bristol City last summer(Image: Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Liam Manning insists Yu Hirakawa is going to be a “really big player” for Bristol City after the winger produced several “incredible moments” to shift the momentum as the Robins secured their play-off spot with their final-day draw with Preston North End.

A second-half brace from Ross McCrorie was enough for the Reds to come from behind to draw 2-2 at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon. In the space of just five minutes, the Scotland international twice beat David Cornell in the North End net to kickstart the party in and around BS3, which only continued when Blackburn Rovers’ draw with Sheffield United confirmed City’s spot in the top six.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side took the lead through Emil Riis moments before the half-hour mark. The Lilywhites forward headed home Robbie Brady’s corner to shock the sold-out home support and with just 15 minutes played of the second half, Milutin Osmajic doubled their advantage when he broke beyond the Robins backline before slotting under Max O’Leary.

READ MORE: Liam Manning’s Reds carve out piece of Bristol City history as real Ross McCrorie truly arrivesREAD MORE: Liam Manning shares ‘special’ Bristol City verdict as Reds secure top six spot with Preston draw

From there, the tide turned in BS3 and while McCrorie was the star of the afternoon, Hirakawa made a real impact as he repeatedly got at his man and whipped cross after cross into the Preston penalty area. Although he didn’t come away with a goal or assist to his name, Manning was quick to laud the 24-year-old for not just his impact on the game but the affect he had on those watching in the stands.

“Yu, wow,” the head coach simply said in his post-match press conference. “He did some incredible moments in terms of shifting momentum.

“I mean, he gets people off their seats, right?” Manning continued. “I think we spoke about that at half-time as well, about not losing sight of why we started playing football. You don’t start playing football to have 500 passes and not go anywhere. Of course, we want to control the game with the ball, but it’s about actually progressing to get it in their box and ask the question.

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“When you look at Yu, he is one of those where he’s just so exciting to watch. He’s so sharp, so quick, and changes direction so well.

“He’s the ultimate professional when you look at the discipline he has and the way he goes about his work, he’s going to be a really big player for the club.”

Hirakawa made the move to Ashton Gate on an initial loan deal from Machida Zelvia last summer. His start to life with the Robins was delayed by an injury sustained whilst away with Japan at the Olympics but when he returned to full fitness, he impressed in the first half of the season as either the left or right-sided wide attacker in Manning’s 4-2-3-1 system.

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However, since the Reds have switched to the 3-4-2-1 formation that has served them well over the course of the second half of the campaign, the 24-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes. Although he is capable of fitting into the system as either one of the two number 10s or at wing-back, he is not necessarily a natural in either role.

But the Japanese youth international’s display against Preston showed that he is capable of stepping up to fill the Mark Sykes’ shaped void at right wing-back.

With a two-legged play-off semi-final to come against Sheffield United over the next two weeks, which the Irishman is set to miss having sustained a quad injury in the warm-up against QPR, City will need Hirakawa to match his recent performance level if they are to book their place in the Wembley final.

READ MORE: Report: Bristol City secure first play-off finish in 17 years as Reds draw vs Preston North EndREAD MORE: Liam Manning lifts lid on celebration with son Isaac as Bristol City book place in play-offs