Kyogo Furuhashi has insisted he must improve to maintain his place in the Japan squad.
The Celtic star has been tipped to start for Japan in today's World Cup qualifier in China, with his country well on their way to securing an eighth qualification in a row after storming six points clear at the top of their group after only five games.
Kyogo was handed an international recall after 13 months in the wilderness for his country by manager Hajime Moriyasu.
And he has no complaints because he knows the high level of competition he is up against and believes he has to keep improving his game...even though he will turn 30 in January.
He said: "Time has flown by for me. Remember I didn't start my professional career until I was in my 20s.
"I think I've been able to climb the ladder little by little because I've had a variety of experiences.
"But I don't think this is the best I can do. So I want to keep working hard to improve and grow as a player even as I get older."
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"The team is in really good form and has been winning consecutive games, so I know I need to further improve my level to stay in the squad.
"There are a lot of really good players and I get a lot of inspiration from them. I try to be conscious of even the smallest things and try to improve in some way.
"First and foremost, the most important thing for me is for the team to win. I want to win while imagining the people at home cheering us on with pride as we fight with the Japanese flag on our shirts."
