Nadeshiko midfielder Fujino Aoba looks back on his first year in Manchester C, “I'm glad I took on a challenge overseas” and is inspired by his former club, who won his first championship.
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On the 28th, midfielder Fujino Aoba (21), who is a member of the Japanese women's national team member Nadeshiko Japan, responded to an online interview from Brazil, where she was on the road.
He moved to England's powerful Manchester City last summer. He also experienced a time when he was eliminated from starting on the world's finest stage. “Up until now, I have been blessed with a good manager and environment, and I have rarely been in the position of not being able to play in games. My first attempt made me feel the first time. It was a year that made me happy that I took on a challenge abroad.” He stayed and worked on the tasks during practice, and actively asked the coach and those around him for their opinions. He spent a lot of trial and error, saying, “I was able to constantly practice while checking my current location and constantly working on growing.”
The match against Columbia in April was called off due to an injury, and this is his first national team activity since the Sea Believes Cup in February. They will play an international friendly match against the Brazilian national team on the 30th (31st Japan time) and June 2nd (3rd Japan time). “I want to combine the positive aspects I gained with my team with the things I accumulated over the two camps as a (national) team, and I want to focus on the game,” he said enthusiastically.
His former club, Nippon TV Tokyo V, which he played until last season, won his first WE League title. Fujino said, “I watched the games I could watch often,” and watched the final match in real time. I saw the moment of joy. “I was extremely happy because I knew they were playing together and focusing on winning the championship. I also felt that I had to work hard, which gave me energy,” he revealed.
