Competing as a natural attacking midfielder
Giving everything for Tokyo
MF 10 Keigo HIGASHI
A special content introducing all the blue and red warriors challenging the 2024 season. What are the players, who are about to start the season, thinking and what kind of determination are they bringing into the year? The stories of the players, who hold in their hearts their love for the club, their thirst for titles, their aspirations for success, and the roles they must fulfill──. Entering his 12th season with the club, Keigo HIGASHI, who has supported the team as a multi-role player. The strong feeling he carries after various experiences is "for Tokyo." He will challenge the new season in his primary position as an attacking midfielder, aiming to balance history and innovation.
"I have been able to grow a lot as both a player and a person at this club. I want to play this season with a feeling of gratitude."
After wrapping up the camp before the start of the new season, Keigo HIGASHI said this: This is his 12th season in Tokyo. As a "blue-red man," he has witnessed the changes that come with a full cycle of the zodiac. Players, staff, and coaches who have fought alongside him have changed over the years. In recent years, he has been asked to take on a multi-role, handling almost every position except goalkeeper, and while struggling with that change, he has supported the team.
In the 2021 season, during the away match against Yokohama F.Marinos where we suffered a heavy defeat of 0-8, I entered the center of the three-back formation in a difficult situation where we were widening the lead, supporting the scramble appearance of the rookie Rio OMORI. In the second half of the 2022 season, where opportunities to start had increased, I was assigned as the anchor of the 4-1-2-3 formation, which lacked a suitable player. I have always responded to the demands from the bench, managing even in situations where I was still inexperienced. Overcoming such experiences has led me to a state where I feel a sense of enjoyment, saying, 'It feels fun after going around once.' What remains is only the feeling of 'for Tokyo.'
"There is a history from the Tokyo Gas Soccer Club, and with the parent company being MIXI, Inc., the emblem has changed. There were tough times, but I believe that clubs grow stronger through such processes. It's not right to forget the past and start everything anew; I think the present exists because of various experiences. The team is taking on new challenges, but from my position, having known it for 12 years, I want to carry on the history without forgetting it while also challenging ourselves with new things."
This season, as a player, I will approach the team's start as an attacking midfielder for the first time in a while. Keigo HIGASHI, who is highly regarded by other players as 'skillful,' is in the perfect position to showcase the skills he inherently possesses. He has a fierce determination and unwavering beliefs, but at the same time, he has gained a sense of composure with age. 'It would be great if I could express that as a flavor.' He has consistently responded to what is required of him, and on the pitch, he will demonstrate a balance of fierceness and composure, showcasing his inherent skills and true value.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
