Number 10, who supported the late-season surge, overcame a difficult period.
MF 10 Keigo HIGASHI
People, players, and stories. Introducing the 2024 PLAYER'S REVIEW, featuring all the blue and red warriors who fought through the 2024 season. What were their thoughts and feelings during the season? Confidence, progress, challenges, joy, and regret... Each player will reflect on their battles this season in their own words.
Keigo HIGASHI, who supported the late-season surge with outstanding balance. At one point, he even faced the difficulty of being left out of the bench, and there were times when the tense thread seemed to break. However, the experienced veteran never gave up. He aimed for further growth, grasped the team and game situation from a new perspective, and before he knew it, he had become an indispensable player in the blue and red midfield once again.
"I got my first injury in March, and I have a sense that I entered a difficult period from there."
Keigo HIGASHI, who was asked about the 2024 season, first mentioned the impact of his injury in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 4 match against Avispa Fukuoka on March 16. He suffered a right quadriceps muscle contusion with an estimated recovery time of about 6 weeks. He had been making appearances on the bench since the start of the season and was preparing for official matches, but due to this absence, he was unable to join the league match squad until the Sec. 24 match against Kashima Antlers on July 20.
"I spent about three months not being able to participate in games, until my condition gradually improved from around May and June, and I reached a level of confidence where I could play."
However, continuing training with a bright expression without looking down led to being selected as a starting member in the final stage. Whether in practice, practice matches, or cup matches, he became a "supporting player" and tried to change the flow. The quality of his sharp passing plays never declined.
Tokyo himself looks back on this time and says, "Having been able to do it without wavering gives me a lot of confidence that it has led to this current position." The team's progress since September was due to his addition as a defensive midfielder and his efforts to make the most of his teammates.
The efforts during the time away from the game paid off. I thought about changing it to a plus without wasting time. Sometimes on DAZN, sometimes at Ajinomoto Stadium, I watched the games closely. What was missing, what was good──. I also participated in a B-level coaching course and observed and analyzed the team from a more comprehensive perspective, which led to new discoveries.
When it comes to physical preparation, I always make sure to start preparing 1.5 hours before the start of practice, in order to be able to train at 100% capacity. As a result of constantly striving to improve in this area, it showed in our games during the fall season.
Before long, the atmosphere around him began to say, "Keigo is necessary." Higashi lived up to those expectations.
Looking back, at the beginning of the 2022 season when coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA took command, he had lost his playing time, but he later acquired the anchor position. It seems that he has become an essential presence, and it is his excellent quality to continue to grow even as a veteran.
"At this age, I have some pride, and even when I was excluded from the team and played in practice matches with academy players, I had a feeling that the thread could break at any time. However, even in those times, I thought it was important to not have a strange misunderstanding like 'I can definitely play if I get in the game'."
The sense of accomplishment of continuously clearing the given task. While feeling the joy of continuing to be involved in the game, the blue and red number 10 shone in the late season.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
