There is a special time with the blue and red singers.
The armband on my left arm and the number 10 on my back, which I have been entrusted with this year, feel a little heavy.
However, the moment I listen to "You'll never walk alone", I feel like "I am not alone".
Beyond the time of dreams――.
Keigo HIGASHI and Tokyo Family walk together and continue to walk together.
Aiming for the first victory in the J1 League.
Touchstone to Confirm Thoughts
Keigo HIGASHI's football life can probably be divided into two parts. Until last year was the first half, and from this year onwards should be the second half. The changes have been that dramatic.
It may have been inevitable. Before the season started, he was named the successor to the number 10 jersey by Yohei KAJIYAMA, who retired from active play at the end of last season, and was entrusted with the captain's armband by coach Kenta HASEGAWA. With two heavy responsibilities at once, Higashi said, "Honestly, it's heavy," and continued,
"I have a lot of anxieties (laughs). But I want to continue to grow with this team. I hope that will turn into a good kind of pressure. Killing two birds with one stone? I hope it turns out that way."
When asked about the duties he must fulfill as captain and the new number 10, he said, "When I say I want to change FC Tokyo, it feels a bit different," and paused for a moment. After thinking for a bit, he concluded, "I want to make Tokyo stronger. I want to win in Tokyo. Yes, that's it, after all."
Entering his seventh year with the team, he realized that his tenure was now the second longest after Masato MORISHIGE.
"There are only a few members from when I joined this team who are still here. In that sense, I believe that players with strong feelings have remained in this team."
He focuses his gaze on a single point and states just one goal. This is likely a testament to the feelings of predecessors who left with unfulfilled ambitions.
"There’s no other option but to win the league. With close players like Naotake HANYU and Naohiro ISHIKAWA retiring, I started to seriously think, 'What if I end up like this?' I felt that I would have regrets. I don’t want to end up without winning any titles and never having played a match for the Japan national team. I think that feelings are passed on, just as I felt. The stronger our feelings are, the more the players who come in later can be influenced and share the same feelings."
"I want to win," and with that mindset, this season has been off to a good start, accumulating wins since the opening of the J1 League, and at the end of the 25th matchday, they are in first place. From here on, an unprecedented title race awaits. There are certainly anxieties. After all, the only ones in the team with experience of winning the league are the coach, Kotaro OMORI, Daiki NIWA, O JESSOK, and Yojiro TAKAHAGI.
That’s why I felt the need for a presence that could test the strength of our commitment to winning, by challenging and pushing ourselves. Higashi sought that from the fans and supporters. That idea was spot on. After the match, every time he hears 'that song,' it makes him think, "More and more, still more."
"When I win and hear Yuru-neba, it makes me want to try harder. I want to stand there again and sing together more. Seeing that scene makes the players who are not in the lineup think, 'I want to stand there too.' I believe it’s a time that really elevates our spirits."
Captain's Secret "Takurami"
The wall standing in the way of victory, it's still unclear what it is. In the future, we may feel an unprecedented pressure or even come to know fear. However, right now we are facing a unique schedule that we have never experienced before, as a visible wall that we must fight against.
Due to the hosting of the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, the J1 League Sec. 23 match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on August 17 will be the last at our home ground, Ajinomoto Stadium, for about three months. After that, there will be eight consecutive away games.
"There are many unknowns, so we have to overcome them together. Truly, the cheers from our fans and supporters are a source of strength, and I believe being at the top is thanks to them. I want as many fans and supporters as possible to come to the away games."
Whether at home or away, the 'beginning', 'middle', and 'end' that are becoming part of our daily lives are firmly present. In the away grounds, a group of blue and red fans in the stands welcomes the players with a chorus of 'Yuruneva', and the players respond by seizing victory. Together, we gather strength for the next challenge, saying, 'Let's walk with hope.'
"As we get closer to the championship, I think it will become multiplied energy. If it becomes more widespread, it should turn into a grand chorus throughout the stadium. I hope this becomes a new history and takes root even more. I want children to sing it too. I hope that one day, it will be connected to Tokyo in a way that anyone can hear."
About six months have passed since taking on the captaincy, and it has become a familiar sight to see him leading the team onto the pitch. He is now 29 years old. The second half of his soccer career is becoming more colorful. The intensity and purity of the words recorded in his interview notes are increasing day by day. His love for soccer and FC Tokyo continues to grow.
"In the past six months, I've had more opportunities to talk with younger players, and there are times when I struggle with communication. I still can't say anything too arrogant. If I don't lead from the front, I won't be able to express what I want to say. For that reason, I need to show the 'now' clearly. No matter how much experience I have, the words of a player who neglects the present won't resonate with anyone. It's tough because I'm thinking about more things, but if it leads to growth, I have to keep going."
There is a sense of camaraderie that arises when sharing ideas for plans. If we're going to do something interesting, it has to be together, not alone; otherwise, it would be boring. That, too, is part of what makes FC Tokyo unique.
And the captain has a secret "takurami".
"When we win, I will definitely pull Kenta-san to that place. He'll probably say 'I'm fine' (bitter laugh). But that's the captain's job."
◇Keigo HIGASHI Profile
text by Kohei Baba
photo by Kenichi Arai,Masahito Sasaki
