Yuto Nagato: I want to shine in the East Asian Cup again on the No. 5, even if I sit on the bench, my fighting spirit will be high

July 9th, Japan defeated Hong Kong, China 6-1. In this game, although 38-year-old Yuuya Nagato was on the bench, he did not get a chance to play.

Yuto Nagato said: "I told young players to focus on playing their current performance in the J League and their strengths. I said, 'You are young, even if you make mistakes, there will be a next time'. I encourage them to 'play with a desire'."

When asked about persisting on the bench until the end, Yuto Nagato said: "Although the substitution quota has been used up, maybe there may be a concussion. Considering these factors, I am also warming up, which itself also contains a sense of self-display."

Speaking of returning to the national team roster after about one year and four months, Yuu Nagato said: "I feel so touched. When I saw my No. 5 and my back were hanging there in the locker room, all kinds of emotions came to my heart. As expected, I was still full of gratitude and responsibility. Looking at my No. 5 jersey in the locker room, I felt determined to wear this No. 5 again to shine in this competition."

"Even if I watched the game on the bench, because I was closer to the stadium, my fighting spirit was further increased. I felt that 'I can play too', which made me more confident in standing on the stadium."