Congratulations on your contract extension, Makoto. Tell us about how you made the decision…
“First of all, thank you very much. Almost a year ago I thought that I would retire this coming summer. But this season has shown that I’m still in good shape, which is why I changed my mind. I’m delighted to be playing for Eintracht for another year. It’s simply unbelievable!”
For many people it’s surprising that you’re playing in defensive midfield again, where you have to run a lot more, rather than at centre-back. How do you do it?
“It’s been a surprise for me too (laughs). I wasn’t expecting to go back into holding midfield at all. Running more and playing with greater intensity – I wouldn’t have thought that it would work. But it’s gone very well in the last ten or 11 games. Evidently there’s no limit for me (laughs).”
Do you have a dream you’d like to fulfil at Eintracht?
“Obviously the Champions League is a big dream, but we need to keep our feet on the ground as we still have another ten games to play. We need to be fully focused in each of them.”
