Yuto Nagatomo is set to become to first Japanese field player to reach four straight World Cups and needs no extra encouragement to express his pride in representing Japan once again in Qatar.
The 36-year-old former Inter Milan man is likely to retain the starting fullback spot he has made his own since his World Cup debut in 2010 in South Africa, especially after the withdrawal of the injured Yuta Nakayama this month.
"The more World Cups I experience, the more my passion grows," the FC Tokyo defender told Kyodo News recently. "I'm confident of showing a livelier version of myself than ever and having an explosive impact."