After swapping Sagan Tosu for German club Eintracht Frankfurt at the age of 20, Daichi Kamada has grown in stature both at the club and Japan national team levels.
A silky playmaker with an eye for the goal, the Ehime Prefecture native will be 26 when the 2022 World Cup in Qatar comes around in 12 months' time and he knows it is a stage he cannot miss out on.
"I had two dreams since I was little: playing in the (European) Champions League and the World Cup. And I don't want to just get to those stages but play in games and perform," he said.