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?

Since he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, when he changed from a field player to a goalkeeper, he has always stood in the goal with the spirit of "not conceding any goals" in mind. Things didn't always go smoothly, but each time, he reminded himself of his "goal" and looked forward.
"My ultimate goal as a soccer player is to play in the World Cup as a member of the Japanese national team. If I want to achieve that big a goal, I have to overcome these kinds of challenges, and I've told myself that it's only natural that I'll face these kinds of challenges. Besides, in the professional world, if you give up, it's over. Everything I've built up until now would be gone, and my career and growth would come to a halt. I absolutely don't want that to happen, so I think I just need to keep working towards my goal."
Last year, during his first year as a professional, the sight of Genta MIURA facing rehabilitation reminded him of this. He learned a lot from watching Miura's sweat and rehab every time he worked out at the gym.
"I was inspired by seeing Genta (Miura) face his training without compromise in order to return from a serious knee injury. I think it's because he has continued to do so that he will be able to continue fighting at the forefront even after returning to the lineup."
He is also often encouraged by the example of his fellow GK.
"Higashi-san (Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI) always exudes the same tension in practice as he does in a match, and he is particular about the quality of each and every play. So even when he is called upon suddenly... like in the recent AFC Champions League 2 match against Ratchaburi, I think he can help the team by performing just as he did in practice. I want to follow his example."
He says that the many stimuli he experiences in his immediate surroundings are helping him hone his performance and his physique, as evidenced by his 5kg weight gain from last year to this year, and his body's obvious increased strength.
"I've been skinny since I turned pro, but a bigger body is always better for a GK. First, I started weight training to build up my muscles. Now I've expanded on that and am continuing my weight training with a greater focus on the interlocking and coordination aspects of my play so that I can move smoothly even as my body gets bigger. Since I was often injured in my youth days, I thought that unless I prepared my body properly to minimize injuries, I wouldn't be expected to play consistently in matches. Also, once I start playing in matches, I won't be able to do weight training as hard, so I want to build a solid physique that will allow me to fight while I can."
His immediate goal is to play in a match for the first team, and he is also considering competing in the LA 2028 Summer Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in 2028.
"Our generation is also aiming to play in the Los Angeles Olympics, and I think that in order to achieve that, I need to play in games for Gamba. In fact, having been selected for the league matches several times between last year and this year, watching the matches from the stands was a completely different experience to being selected for the team and experiencing the flow of events leading up to the match and hearing the cheers of the supporters. It made me want to play in front of those cheers as soon as possible. However, I think that in order to achieve that, performance on the pitch is everything. I want to attract opportunities by continuing to perform in a way that doesn't concede goals, both in practice and in practice matches, and I will continue to hone myself so that I can take advantage of the opportunities that come my way."
This is also in order to connect the "fun of soccer" that he feels even more strongly since becoming a professional player to the "fun of winning."

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Text by Takamura Misa

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