Throughout last year's battles, the keyword for the team was "passion."
The battles that fueled them were expressed as a desire to win, creating excitement in the stadium.
This season's WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA will shine a spotlight on the spirit that lies behind the "passion" of each player. What kind of power will their soul, enthusiasm, courage, and determination give to the team this season?

"Never be overconfident or complacent. Always approach football with humility."
The words he was repeatedly told at Ise MTK.FC in his hometown of Mie Prefecture, where he played as an elementary school student, have become more and more apparent to him as he gets older. At the same time, after he began playing for GAMBA OSAKA Junior Youth, he realized that the "environment" is also very important in continuing to pursue his own potential.
"When I was in elementary school, I was approached by scouts at the Mie Prefecture Training Center and the Tokai Region Training Center, and I decided to join Gamba Junior Youth. I believe that I am who I am today because I made the decision to leave my parents' home and live in the youth dormitory to play for Gamba. Of course, when I first joined, I felt that the level was completely different from when I was playing in Mie, and I was surprised that there were such skilled players, but I was able to grow as a person by putting myself in that environment and hanging in there. Of course, there may be some areas where you can grow depending on your mindset, even without changing your environment, but I personally think that by thinking of not being overconfident or complacent as a set with putting yourself in a tough environment, I am able to see more growth."
That belief became more convincing around the time he signed a professional contract last October when he was a second-year high school student.
"As I aim to reach higher, I felt like I could improve even more by training with high-level players from the top team shortly before signing a professional contract, which made me realize once again how important the "environment" is when seeking growth. There's so much to learn by watching the players play up close. With Higashi san (Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI), things like the speed of his movements, the way he takes his steps, and how he can accurately position his body according to the situation. With Jun-san (Ichimori), things like his final shot stop and his tactics against shooters at close range. I also learn a lot from Okubayashi-kun (Zhang), how he stretches his hand out to stop shots at the end and how he handles high balls. Of course, it's not something you can steal that easily, and above all, I think I need to compete using my own strengths first, but I feel that watching everyone play up close and feeling like "I can't let myself lose" will also lead to my future growth."
Speaking of the environment, he also gained new inspiration from participating in training sessions with the prestigious Dutch club AFC Ajax for around 10 days from July 18th.
"Gamba's attacking players were impressive, but Ajax's attacking players were also generally very physically strong, with incredibly fast playing and shooting speeds. The GK, especially the players in the starting lineup, were big, mobile, and it felt like it was natural for them to stop shots. The GK always saved the team from trouble two or three times during the game, and they were powerful and stable."
The experience reminded him that "there is still a lot he needs to do," which is likely to be a factor that will encourage his future growth.
"In order to compete at the top level of play in the J.League, I have no choice but to give it my all in daily practice and continue to hone my game. Especially at the professional level, there are many situations where I can't defend on my own, and if I can't control the DF line with the GK 's coaching, the number of difficult situations increases. That's why I have to be more conscious of positioning and working closely with the defense to defend. As a professional, I need to surpass the other GK in order to play in the games, so I want to keep improving my own level."
He was humble and without arrogance, but he also exuded a strong determination.

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Text by Takamura Misa

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