In an interview, Japanese goalkeeper Ayani Suzuki shared his journey from a child who admired Nora Kawaguchi to a professional goalkeeper, and gave insights into his role and the requirements of modern football for goalkeepers.

First, we want to look at some topics that may not have been explored in depth before. When you were a kid, did you practice by imitating the game videos of Nokawa Kawaguchi and Shuichi Gonda?

Yes, that’s right. But rather than imitating it from the beginning, it’s more about reviewing those scenes in detail when watching the video after the game. For example, "Oh, that was a good save," or "This was a bad mistake that resulted in a goal conceded." I would relate these scenarios to my performance and then think about how to apply what I learned to the next training session.

Why did you choose to become a goalkeeper in the first place?

My brother is two years older than me. He was playing football as a forward. When I was 5 years old, my brother started playing football, and I didn't know much about it at the time. It’s a very ordinary family relationship. If my brother is playing football, I will play too. When I was in the first grade of elementary school, I even wanted to give up football. But then I thought it would be interesting to be able to prevent goals. Yes, it feels different than the pleasure of scoring goals as a player on the field, there is a unique thrill in preventing a goal. Being in a team and being able to do this with everyone shows me how much fun it is.

So, has the pressure not to make mistakes become your charm?

I think it is the charm. After all, as a goalkeeper, there is only one person on the team who can play. Indeed. So I think this location is unique. Please tell me your strengths as a goalkeeper. Yes, as a goalkeeper, keeping goals is the first priority. My strength lies in my stretch when making saves, and I also have good strength. I can create opportunities with my wide kicks, and I think creating offensive opportunities with long passes is one of my strengths.

Today’s goalkeepers have very high requirements. Compared with when you first debuted, do you feel that the requirements are completely different?

Yes, the current goalkeeper is not only the starting point of the offense, but also participates in the organization. This role has become very important. I feel that my ability in organizing offense in the backcourt has also been improved. So, I think the goalkeeper's first priority now is to hold the ball and handle it calmly.

What do you think about organizing offense in the backcourt?

Yes, I think it is very important to hold the ball in the backcourt and be able to handle the ball calmly. For teams that defend man-to-man, they need to find space and pass the ball to unmarked teammates. Through such cooperation, the opponent's defense can be broken down. I think that when a goalkeeper can do this, it is where he shows his value to his teammates and fans. In Europe and South America, there are more and more high-level goalkeepers whose ability to perform consistently is crucial to winning. As for myself, as the goalkeeper of the last line of defense, I must keep the goal steadily and not lose the ball.

What does it mean to you to train with your teammates from the national team?

Being able to represent the national team and wear the national flag on your chest is a very glorious thing in itself. The sense of responsibility that comes with representing Japan is different. I have always aimed to be selected for the national team and I don’t want to give up now. In order to reach that level again, I have to perform better in my club and improve with my teammates.

What do you think is the most important thing as a goalkeeper?

I think it is the role of "The Last Bastion". Don't give up easily. Yes, that's it. In order to achieve the goal of 100 clean sheets, I practiced repeatedly every day. Yes, that's it. I don’t know if I can do it, but in order to achieve this uncertain goal, I will take every day seriously and check whether I really did it at the end. Thank you all. Please look after me in the future. I will continue to work hard.

Last time we talked about some of your childhood memories, and now we want to know more about them. You mentioned just now that when you saw Nokawa Kawaguchi, you thought, "The goalkeeper is so handsome." What exactly is his charm?

Yes, I think the most attractive thing about him is his powerful aura. His sense of oppression of "I will never let you score as long as I'm here" is really strong.

What about technically?

Technically, his saving range is not large, but his positioning is very good. I think he's great at that. Nowadays, there are many such goalkeepers in Italy and abroad, right?

Which players do you watch more?

The ones I watch more are Nokawa Kawaguchi and Eiji Kawashima of the Japanese team. Overseas, I like Ederson. Yes, there are many goalkeepers with excellent skills, but I appreciate how he uses his technical characteristics to make choices. The intensity and accuracy of his wide kick can directly create opportunities. On the Premier League stage, he can directly assist the forward with a long pass. Of course, his short and mid-range passes are also excellent.

It is very important to have a variety of weapons.

Yes, I think this is related to the stability of the whole team. Have there been any changes in the way Italian goalkeepers train? Yes, a lot has changed. Like the way you hold the ball, your body structure, and how you use your body. It used to be explained in detail, but now it pays more attention to practice. We do a lot of one-on-ones and close-quarter runs, as well as a lot of footwork and one-on-one tackling.

Was this helpful to you?

Yes, it helps a lot. From now on, we will face World Cup-level opponents and must take every game seriously.

How do you think the role and role of goalkeepers might change? What do you want fans to focus on?

I hope everyone will pay attention to how we compete with the world's best teams.