Shinji Okazaki, who has scored 50 goals for the national team, reveals his pride as a professional striker.

Okazaki showed respect for Osako, who had taken his place in the team, saying, “I get fired up when I can’t play, and I think Sako, who plays in the first lineup, is a different type of player.

He always respects his fellow players and puts the team’s victory first, and this resulted in his 50th goal for the national team against Thailand on March 28, 2005. When he scored with his quintessential diving head, he once again expressed his deep gratitude to his teammates.

I hadn’t scored a headed goal recently, so it was good for me to revive my senses again. It had been years since I played a full match for the national team, so I was relieved in that sense, too. I really feel that “I’ve come this far by being utilized (by everyone). I have been thinking ‘why am I so bad at this,’ and feeling that I am not good enough, but the people around me saw my moves and took advantage of them to score goals.

Many goalkeepers are egoists who score goals by grabbing the ball that falls in front of them, but Okazaki is a player full of dedication and integrity who is always “for the team” and “for other people. This statement clearly shows how open-minded and big-hearted Okazaki is.

It is this human nature that has allowed him and Kagawa to continue to work together to reach the World Cup in Qatar in 2010, while encouraging each other in Spain and Belgium after being left out of the national team.

Kagawa once said, “I am really grateful to Oka-chan,” and Okazaki is loved by his rivals for the position. As he said himself, he was “a rare type (of FW).

Through all the twists and turns, he has always given his all, doing whatever it takes to help the team win. This spirit will surely be passed on to the next generation. I hope that the current national team’s forward lineup, led by Asano, Kisei Ueda, and Dainichi Maeda (26, Celtic), will do the same.

I played with Kisei and Dainen at the Copa America ’19, and I want them to overcome obstacles on their own and grow as players. No matter how hard they are forced into a difficult situation, the soccer world always returns results to those who work hard.

The great scorer, who will soon take off his uniform, once again encouraged the young players who will carry the future of Japanese soccer.

It would be ideal if more and more youngsters would follow in Okazaki’s footsteps, and if Okazaki himself would vigorously pursue his next goal, which is to become a leader in Europe. One can only hope that the “man of dedication” will have a spectacular second career.