Significantly evolved as a player
The return of the "mood maker"
GK 13 Go HATANO
Special content introducing the all-blue-red warriors who will challenge the 2024 season. What are the players thinking and what kind of determination are they approaching the year with as they prepare for the opening? The players' stories, filled with love for the club, thirst for titles, aspirations for success, and the roles they must fulfill─. Go HATANO, who returned from a loan to V-Varen Nagasaki. We followed his growth and evolution as he livened up the team with his cheerful personality.
The cheerful man has returned. With Kensuke Nagai returning in the summer of the 2022 season and then transferring before the start of the 2023 season, there was a feeling of something missing in terms of personality, even though he was a strong player. But there is no need to worry anymore. The positive brightness, the understanding of the club as an academy graduate, and the performance on the pitch have all greatly improved. Go Hatano, who will once again wear the number 13 in the 2024 season, is the reason for this.
On January 13th, the Nara Club's official account encouraged fans on SNS, saying "Let's get excited!" and just 4 days later, they announced "Today we're having dinner with our new players. We'll teach them a lot about Tokyo so they can quickly become part of the blue and red." They are actively sharing what is necessary to improve the team that struggled last season during this transitional period. As a football club rooted in Tokyo, they are striving to grow and their behavior symbolizes that.
In the practice match with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, which concluded the Miyazaki camp, an impressive performance was shown on the pitch. His body, which has grown about one size, jumps around nimbly. His powerful presence, like that of a European goalkeeper, is truly "reborn". As he himself says, "I feel like I have a lot of power in an instant," he has become stronger. As he also says, "Last season, I played in Nagasaki and my defensive range became wider, so I was able to see the whole team," his ability to observe the situation from the back and move the team has also increased. His decision-making, such as whether to go forward or not, whether to grab or deflect, has become more accurate.
There may have been a path to continue living at other clubs, such as Nagasaki, where he was on loan. However, after receiving the announcement of Taishi Brandon NOZAWA's selection for the Japan national team, he decided to return to Tokyo immediately. As a result of the reaction between the blue and red blood, his destination was decided to be in Tokyo. Go HATANO does not look back on the past. He is solely focused on Tokyo, with no doubts in his mind, and is looking towards the future of himself and the club.
Text by Wataru GOTO (Freelance Writer)
