Now is the starting line

This year, I've been in the starting lineup all year since spring, so I feel like I'm finally back on the starting line. Last year, I got injured in Germany and came back, and couldn't return for about three months, so I started playing in the second half of the season, but I didn't get any results. In my second year, I stepped up my game and scored goals in the spring tour and the Emperor's Cup. I knew that if I didn't make an impression this year and get noticed by the pros, it would be tough from next year onwards, so I worked hard.

The difference between high school soccer and high school soccer is physicality and intelligence

I actually had planned to be a starter from the beginning of my freshman year, but I couldn't. On the contrary, that was a good time to learn about university soccer. The mentality and tactics are different from high school, so since I couldn't play in the games, I was able to observe from outside the pitch, which was a good learning experience, and it also gave me a chance to ask questions from my seniors, so I think that period has led to where I am now. In high school, you can do it with individual ability and speed, but that doesn't work in university. People like me who can defend even if they're small are smart and can predict the situation. It was only when I entered university that I noticed that.

The other thing is physical strength. There are a lot of big, bulky, and fast players in the forward position. Unlike in high school, I feel like I'm more prone to injuries and they take longer to heal, so I decided to go back to basics and started doing core and muscle training. I think how high you can go depends on how solid your foundation is, so I think how well you can do in your second year will determine whether you can achieve results in your third and fourth years.

I want to be the hope of children

My immediate goal is to get a professional offer by the time I reach my third year of university and play as a designated player. But my goal isn't just to become a professional, I've been thinking about what I'll do after I become a professional. I hope I can show that even short players like me can be successful, and that I can be a source of hope for children.

It's impossible for someone like Kawamura Yuki, who is currently active in the NBA, to make it at that height, right? But the fact that he's doing it means he's giving hope to Japan, or rather showing it, so I feel like I have to be in that position. I want to be a player who can play center back even though I'm small, and who inspires elementary and junior high school students that they can compete even if they're small, and who wants to try their best.