FC Tokyo has signed a professional contract with Maki KITAHARA (belonging to FC Tokyo U-18) and held a press conference at Kodaira Ground on Jul 7 (Mon). We bring you comments from Maki KITAHARA along with those from President Shigeya Kawagishi and General Manager Mitsushiro OBARA, who were present at the meeting.
<Maki KITAHARA>
Opening remarks at the press conference
I am Maki KITAHARA, and I have signed a professional contract with FC Tokyo. I am very happy to have achieved my childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player on my 16th birthday. Although I am still inexperienced both as a person and as a soccer player, I will spare no effort and give my all for Tokyo's victory. Thank you for your support.
Q. You signed a professional contract at 16 years old. Please tell us your honest feelings now.
A. As an individual, I aimed to sign a professional contract while setting my goals for this season. However, I did not expect to turn professional at the same time as my birthday, and sooner than I had imagined. When I received the offer, I was genuinely happy, and now that this day has arrived, I am beginning to feel it sinking in. I am full of gratitude to everyone involved with JACPA Tokyo FC who has supported me so far, to all those who have been involved, to my family, and to FC Tokyo for believing in me, an inexperienced player, and making me a professional footballer.
Q. You became the youngest player to sign a professional contract with the club. How do you feel about that?
A, I don't really focus much on such records, but I am very happy to have been able to sign as the youngest. I don't want to be satisfied with just becoming a professional football player, nor be complacent; I want to keep striving every day with ambition.
Q. What kind of player do you want to become from now on?
A, I have a lot of gratitude towards Tokyo for signing me to a professional contract, so first of all, I want to contribute to FC Tokyo winning the J1 League. I did not become a professional soccer player by my own strength alone, and I want to play without forgetting my gratitude to many people.Until now, I have watched the play of professional seniors and played thinking, "I want to become this kind of player." Now, I want to work hard so that I myself can deliver dreams and hopes to small children who have just started playing soccer.
Q, Your new jersey number is 77. What thoughts did you have when choosing this number?
A, One reason is that my own birthday is July 7th, making it a number that many people can easily remember. The main reason is that I chose number 77 to never forget the joy and gratitude I felt when I was able to sign a professional contract with FC Tokyo on my 16th birthday, July 7th.
Q. What are Kitahara's strengths, and what kind of play do you want to show from here as a professional soccer player?
A, I want to show plays that can make a difference in attack, and I want people to see plays that firmly leave goals and numbers. In the professional world, I believe numbers and results are the most important. I want to clearly demonstrate that through my play.
(Excerpt from the press conference)
<President Shigeya Kawagishi Representative Director>
FC Tokyo has signed a professional contract with Maki KITAHARA. We are very pleased. We hope that he will thrive and make great strides on the official match stage in the future. FC Tokyo has received the J.League Best Youth Development Club Award four times in the past and is committed to the activities of the academy as a club. In that sense, we believe that Maki's professional contract signing is the result of the daily efforts of the academy division. In the past, we have produced many players who have succeeded worldwide, and many academy graduates are currently on the top team. We believe that Maki KITAHARA has added a new chapter to the story that FC Tokyo has been weaving.
Kitahara has already appeared in official matches as a member of the top team, and in a sense, he skipped grades to sign a professional contract at the young age of 16. We at FC Tokyo are very pleased to have met Kitahara and to be able to support his growth.
From next season, we will join the J.League U-21 League and further enhance the environment for the growth and development of young players, including academy players, while also focusing our efforts on academy activities.
We look forward to seeing him thrive and achieve results as a professional soccer player and as a member of the top team in the future. As a club, we want to provide the utmost support so that even one of his great ambitions can be realized.
＜Mitsushiro OBARA General Manager＞
We are very pleased to have signed a professional contract with Maki KITAHARA, who has the potential not only to represent FC Tokyo but also to carry the hopes of Japan.
We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved with JACPA Tokyo FC who nurtured him, to all those who supported his growth through elementary, junior high, and high school, and above all, to his family for their understanding of FC Tokyo's academy activities.
Player Kitahara joined the FC Tokyo Advanced School alongside his activities with JACPA Tokyo FC starting from the 4th grade of elementary school. When we saw his play during junior high school, we were impressed by his excellent skills and tactical awareness. While planning and mapping out the growth plans and pathways for each player that the club is focusing on, he showed a growth curve beyond what we had anticipated. We are very surprised by the speed of his development. In his 3rd year of junior high, he participated in FC Tokyo U-18 activities ahead of schedule and demonstrated play that was on par with other players. This season, he also joined the Okinawa camp at the start of the season, showing confident and fearless play, earning praise from coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, and he himself has earned appearances in official matches. Having signed a professional contract on his 16th birthday, he became the youngest player ever to sign with the club. For Player Kitahara, I believe today is the starting line. The club wants to continue walking this path together with him.
(Excerpt from the press conference greeting)
Regarding the sale of the name & number 'No.77 MAKI' uniform of player Maki KITAHARA, please see here
