UNITED’S Japanese superfan Kotaro Sumita has thanked U’s fans for tracking down his lost flag and revealed how he introduced a familiar face to the club at Wembley.

The avid United fan was left disappointed after losing his treasured flag and then watching the club lose to Coventry earlier this month.

But his ‘FORZA OU’ flag, all the way from Japan, has now been found.

Bobby Clarke spotted the flag on the floor of the stadium as he trudged back to the coaches at Wembley with his dad Stewart.

The 12-year-old, from West Oxford, said: “We didn’t know whose flag it was and it was just on the floor and we saw it was Oxford United so we picked it up.

“We were in The Crystal Rooms before and I had actually seen the man with it.

“I’m pleased we could rescue it for him and it’s waiting for him when he comes back to watch Oxford United.”

Mr Clarke, who works at Carphone Warehouse, then saw the Oxford Mail’s appeal on Facebook and got in touch to give Kotaro the good news.

Unsurprisingly Mr Sumita was delighted to hear his treasured flag had been found and praised Yellows fans for spreading the story.

The 37-year-old said: “I must thank all the Yellows who shared it with their friends and friends’ friends.

“I want to thank everyone face to face, especially the boy who found it, but I can’t because I have already returned to Japan - but I will be back again soon.”

Kotaro Sumita has been an avid United fan since he first went to the Manor Ground while visiting Oxford in 1999.

He was learning English at The Oxford English Centre and his hosts, the Hathaway family from Littlemore, took him to watch a game.

He has since visited Oxford 12 times and seen more than 20 U’s games.

More details of his 36-hour whirlwind trip to the UK also emerged yesterday, which included him giving another person the chance to watch United for the first time.

On a visit to the Kassam last season he became friends with Blessing Shumba - a steward at United’s home games.

The 37-year-old, who lives in Saga, Japan, accidentally bought two tickets for the final and invited Blessing who said despite his job he had never seen the club play.

He said:”I asked him if he wanted the ticket and he said he had never watched a U’s match in his spare time.

“So I gifted the ticket him with hoping his blood would be yellow.

He added: “He enjoyed the match and my mission was completed.”