Pride. Literally, pride, self-esteem.
Although every professional soccer player has this in their heart,
Each player's approach and mindset is very different.
This season's WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA is,
Deep in the hearts of the players,
Revealing each person's pride.

I know exactly what I should be proud of and what I should let go of.

"I always have a lot of confidence and pride in what I've accomplished and my playing style. But at the same time, because I'm still developing, if there's something I don't understand, I make sure to ask the people around me for guidance, and I try to grow by taking in the opinions of many different people."

He says that the division of roles became clear in the last six months since he started his professional career. In particular, he learned lessons from the regret of not being able to do anything in his professional debut match against FC Ryukyu in the Levain Cup, and the humiliation of receiving a red card on his first play and being sent off in his J1 League debut.

"Of course, I was prepared for things not going as well as they did in my amateur days, and as the season began, I accepted that and fought while accepting it. But those two games caused me to drop more than I thought, including my mental state. I realized that I was starting to feel uneasy even about plays that I thought I was confident in, and I realized that this was not the way to go. From then on, I sort of accepted it in a good way. I started to think, "Since I'm at rock bottom, I can't go any lower," and that helped me to let go. I once again realized that depending on how I feel, things like my play and the flow of the game can change."

Nevertheless, when the match against Fukushima United FC in the EMPEROR'S CUP, which was his first official appearance since the Fukuoka match, memories of the past came back to him and he felt a bit scared.

"Although I came on as a substitute with the score at 3-0, I remembered the two games that didn't go well and that made me feel heavy and nervous. But it was a great opportunity, and it was also Higashi kun's (Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI) first game in a while, so I was determined not to concede any goals no matter what, which motivated me. The game was a little open, and there were some areas where we were able to do well and some areas where we found room for improvement, but I think the biggest thing I gained from this game was the realization that I "have to do more" in the face of the pressure and tension that is unique to official games."

The warmth of our supporters also helped us.

"Despite my poor performances in the two games I'd played up until then, and the resulting harsh criticism, the supporters who'd gathered at Panasonic Stadium Suita that day really welcomed me warmly. Perhaps they understood how I felt, because they supported me when I stepped onto the pitch and every time I played, which gave me courage to fight. At the end of the game, I was really moved by that, and felt happy to be able to play in front of all of you."

Because he experienced that firsthand, he felt even more determined to "do it again next time" and "grow more and become a force for the team." So, going forward, with confidence in himself and a desire to grow, Rin MITO will move forward.


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Text by Takamura Misa

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