Japanese defender Yuta Nakayama said Tuesday he is "excited for a new challenge" at Dutch first-division side PEC Zwolle.

At a press conference following his arrival at the club, the former Kashiwa Reysol and Japan under-21 center-back said he believed the move to the Netherlands was a critical step toward achieving his ambitions as a player.

"By moving overseas, I'm pursuing my dreams. I have taken the first step in deciding to come here," said Nakayama, winner of the J-League's Best Young Player award with Kashima Reysol in 2017.

Nakayama said he was looking forward to learning from manager Jaap Stam, a former Zwolle player who excelled as a center-back for the Netherlands.

"In his era, he was quite the defender, so I want to learn from him in that department. On the other hand, I also want to impress the manager with my attacking play," he said.

A likely pick for the Japan squad at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Nakayama said he was encouraged by the success of current senior national team attacker Ritsu Doan with Dutch side Groningen.

"Seeing Doan's success has been very inspiring. I really want to challenge myself now after transferring for the first time and starting to play overseas," Nakayama, a Reysol youth academy product, said.

Zwolle are currently ranked 16th in the 18-team Eredivisie at the midway point of the season. Stam replaced John van 't Schip as manager in December with a mission to keep the club from being relegated.