Aiming for top performance to the limit
I want to dedicate everything to this decisive year
MF 10 Keigo HIGASHI
Introducing all the Blue-Red warriors participating in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League 2026 season in 'PLAYERS FILE 2026.' What kind of thoughts do the players hold, and with what determination are they preparing to face the special half-season tournament and the year ahead?
In the 2025 season, Keigo HIGASHI was injured toward the end of the camp when he was 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, approaches the new season with joy in playing soccer, putting everything on the line and dedicating himself fully to regain his top performance.
"This year I'm 36 years old, my 18th year as a professional. It went by in the blink of an eye."
He ended up spending half of his life as a professional soccer player. Keigo HIGASHI muttered the words as if savoring them.
"I have experienced what can be called turning points at key moments, and I think a lot has happened. Looking back now, it was fast, but there were tough times and, of course, good times as well. Since I have been in Tokyo for a long time, 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 am nothing but happy. There are many hardships, but from the outside, those parts are not visible. I don't talk about them either. I think being able to play the soccer I love in this environment is a blessing."
As he says, not everything is happy. Sometimes you have to endure.
"There are times when you have to endure a lot throughout the U-5. Every year, every week, every day is for soccer. I want to do things like that, but I stop because my body gets 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 played over 400 matches in the J1 League. However, the past few seasons may have been more challenging for him. In the 2025 season, he showed outstanding form during the pre-season camp. But when he got injured on the final day, he was left with the regret that "if things had gone differently, I might have been able to start the season with a good performance." After returning, he again left the lineup due to a muscle injury and was unable to fully regain his condition. He appeared in 18 league matches but was never able to deliver a satisfying performance until the end.
"It was such a huge waste. My condition was really good during the camp, and both my mind and body were ready to perform for the whole year. But I got injured at the very end of the camp. I found myself weak, using that as an excuse. I am always reflecting, and even after doing this for so long, I still don't 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 improve my condition once again. After all, I have to aim for top performance, and it's not such an easy world. I felt that last season. No matter how much I say I'll compete in a different area, I don't have the ability to that extent. 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 peers like Kim Seung-gyu, compete for their positions against players who are more than a generation apart in age on the same level playing field.
"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 the rookies and FC Tokyo U-18 players. There will be opportunities in the next six months, so I will challenge myself, and if it doesn't work out, it can't be helped."
The blue and red number 10's words were filled with determination. "I want to push myself and dedicate myself to soccer."
For a soccer life that feels happy, repeat every year, every week, every day.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
