Red alert: Fired-up Nagatomo fuels Japan at World Cup

DOHA, AFP, Nov 26, 2022: Mellowing with age is not part of the plan for Japan veteran Yuto Nagatomo, whose flame-red hair and wild celebrations are helping to fuel the Blue Samurai 's fire in Qatar.

The 36-year-old full-back has been in irrepressible mood at his fourth World Cup -- a record for a Japanese outfield player -- and is fully embracing his role as the team's elder statesman. Nagatomo played nearly an hour of Japan's stunning 2-1 opening win over Germany but his involvement was not over when he left the pitch. He spent the rest of the match encouraging his teammates from the sidelines and racing off the bench to congratulate goalscorers Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano. He then carried his exuberant mood over into his post-match interviews, screaming “Bravo!” into a TV camera in a clip that went viral around the world.

It was nothing out of the ordinary for a player who has dyed his hair red for the tournament to fire up his teammates.

“The idea was that it's the red of the Japanese flag, and it also shows the passion of our players,” Nagatomo explained.

“I wanted to express that. I asked people what colour I should dye it and a lot said red. I had thought that as well so it felt like it best represented my attitude towards the World Cup.” Nagatomo said his wife, a TV personality in Japan, had even dyed her hair a red tinge in “a gesture of unity”.

The defender was never likely to do things by half at a World Cup in which he is determined to have a positive impact.

Japan's squad contains 19 players making their World Cup debuts and only a handful of veterans.