Interview with Hotaka NAKAMURA

INTERVIEW2022.1.17

Interview with Hotaka NAKAMURA

Q, how is your arrival in Okinawa?
A, I'm really excited right now.

Q, is it because you feel something different from before?
A, I am really excited about this year and have strong feelings about it. We have been having meetings under the new coach, and I am excited about many aspects. I want to make an impression quickly and enjoy playing soccer, so I have that kind of feeling.

Q: This is the first season starting under a coach other than former coach Hasegawa. The desired style of play is also different. How do you feel about it so far?
A, (Hasegawa) Kenta-san has his own way of doing things, and Coach Albert is a person with wonderful ideas. When I was with Kenta-san, I wanted to learn as much as possible from him and grow. I think there are some differences now that Coach Albert has become the coach, but that is also something that I lack, so it means challenging myself with new things based on my current abilities. I believe that by continuing to learn, I can continue to grow as a soccer player.

Q, I think there are still many things that are not yet understood, but what will happen to Tokyo football in the 2022 season?
There are also interview articles with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, and I really think they are true. What I thought after the meeting is that although we will incorporate various tactics and details, the coach repeatedly emphasizes "to win". There may be aspects where we delve into various styles, but ultimately, everything is aimed at winning, playing attacking and enjoyable soccer in a different sense from last year, where we dominate the ball and lead to victory through reverse calculation from winning. I think we can show that.

Q: Do you have any specific awareness when foreign coaches ask players for clear opinions and assertions?
Whether it's a Japanese coach or a foreign coach, it doesn't matter. I think having a third party perspective is absolutely necessary when playing soccer, so I have always made it a point to ask for help if I couldn't figure things out on my own. That hasn't changed, or rather, because we are trying new things, there will be things that I don't understand or can't do, things that I'm curious about. So I will continue to ask questions and I think having a mindset of learning is important. Ultimately, it's meaningless if I can't express myself on the pitch, but I will strive to be more proactive.

Q: How do you perceive last season's injury?
A, it's always better not to get injured, and I came back after doing rehabilitation, but I don't think I will follow the same growth curve as players who have continued playing soccer, so I haven't really returned to zero personally, so I think the meaning of last year's injury can only be determined by this year's results. In that sense, I can't say anything at the moment, or rather, I think I have to say it was good in the end, and that depends on this year.

Q: Practice at the camp will begin tomorrow. Please share your enthusiasm for this season.
I commented on the contract renewal release that I want to be more greedy for results, or rather, I want to seek results as an individual. The team's results are of course important, but first I want to leave my own results, I think that will be the team's greatest weapon. I don't have specific numbers or anything, but I want to study and absorb various things... First of all, I want to keep playing in the matches, otherwise I can't see anything in the future. I want to continue doing each and every thing in front of me without changing.


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