FC Tokyo goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda is far too modest to accept the plaudits that have come his way after a string of fine performances for club and country last season, but there is certainly nothing humble about his ambitions for the year ahead.
Gonda began 2012 in the best way possible as Tokyo beat Kyoto Sanga to win the Emperor's Cup final last New Year's Day, before going on to consolidate his reputation as the newly promoted club marked its return to the J. League first division with a respectable 10th-place finish.
An appearance at the London Olympics also gave Gonda the chance to test himself on the global stage, and the 23-year-old did not disappoint, underpinning Japan's run to the semifinals with four clean sheets in the opening four games only for the team to finish fourth and miss out on a first medal since 1968.