Aiming for top performance to the limit
I want to dedicate everything to this decisive year
MF 10 Keigo HIGASHI
Introducing all the blue and red warriors taking on the 2026 Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League in 'PLAYERS FILE 2026.' What thoughts do the players hold, and with what resolve are they preparing to face the year ahead, especially with the special half-season tournament approaching?
In the 2025 season, Keigo HIGASHI was injured near the end of the camp while showing high performance. Due to this, he was unable to regain top condition and ended up spending an unsatisfactory year. Now 36 years old, the number 10 who has experienced both the bitter and the sweet faces the new season with the joy of being able to play soccer, dedicating everything and putting everything on the line to regain his top performance.
"I'm 36 this year, my 18th year as a professional. It went by in the blink of an eye."
Keigo HIGASHI reflected deeply as he said he has spent half of his life as a professional soccer player.
"I've experienced what you could call turning points at key moments, and a lot has happened. Looking back now, it went by quickly, but there were tough times and, of course, good times as well. I've been with Tokyo for a long time, so I think the fans and supporters have been watching all those moments closely."
The man who has survived a harsh competitive society suddenly looked back.
"I can only say I am happy. There are plenty of hardships, but those are unseen parts from the outside. I don't talk about them either. I think it is a blessing to be able to play the soccer I love in this environment."
As he spoke, not everything is happiness. Sometimes, patience is also required.
"There are times throughout the year when it's nothing but patience. Every year, every week, every day is for soccer. I want to do this or that, but I stop because my body would get tired, or I want to eat that, but I refrain because it would lower my performance. It is the accumulation of those things that has brought me to where I am now."
He has appeared in over 400 J1 League matches in total. However, the past few seasons may have been more difficult for him. In the 2025 season, he showed outstanding form during the pre-season camp. But when he got injured on the final day of the camp, the regret of "If things had gone on like that, I might have been able to start the season with good performance" lingered. After returning, he again left the lineup due to a muscle injury and was unable to fully regain his condition. Although he played in 18 league matches, he was never able to show a performance he was satisfied with until the end.
"It was such a waste. My condition during the camp was really good, and both my mind and body were prepared to go for the whole year. But I got injured at the very end of the camp. I had a weak side that used that as an excuse. I’m always reflecting, so even after doing this for so long, I still don’t really know what the right answer is."
So, I threw away the excuses. As if defying age, I aim to draw out my top performance to the limit.
"I want to raise my condition once again. After all, I have to focus on top performance, and it’s not such an easy world. I felt that last season. No matter how much I say I’ll compete elsewhere, I don’t have that level of ability. It might be difficult to be on the same level as the younger players. But I want to build a body that can move and compete."
On the pitch, neither age nor career matters. Older players like Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE, as well as Kim Seung-gyu, who is the same age, compete for their regular positions against players more than a generation younger on the same level.
"In the end, it’s all about repetition. No matter how much experience you gain, it doesn’t matter on the pitch. You have to play with the same mindset as rookies and FC Tokyo U-18 players. There is a chance in these next six months, so I will challenge myself, and if it doesn’t work out, then so be it."
The player wearing the blue and red number 10 jersey spoke words filled with determination: "I want to push myself and dedicate myself to soccer."
For a soccer career that I can consider happy, I repeat every year, every week, every day.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
