YOKOHAMA -- Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo tied the J.League record of 631 appearances in the top division of the Japanese soccer league on Sunday, helping his team defeat Yokohama F Marinos 2-1 in the season-opening fixture at Yokohama's Nissan Stadium.
The 40-year-old ties the record with Seigo Narazaki, the former Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper who retired in 2018.
"Only Seigo and I can understand how hard it is [to set this record]," said Endo, whose playing career has had its ups and downs. "It's an honor for me to tie the record set by a great senior player."
Illness kept Endo away from soccer for periods in 2006 and 2008, however, these challenges did not discourage him. The midfielder's excellent passing ability and tactical guile made him a valuable player for the national team, which he helped advance to the Round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Endo has played in a domestic-record 152 international games.
Listed in the starting lineup on Sunday, the veteran midfielder has played in every one of his team's season-opening fixtures over the past 23 years, including the season Gamba played in Japan's second-tier J2 division.
Endo said he never imagined that he would still be playing in his 40s. "I've experienced a succession of regrets," he recalled. "But overall, I've been able to enjoy a happy life in soccer."
Now the veteran midfielder dreams of playing on the same pitch as his eldest son, who is currently a junior high school student. "As long as I can move my body and my team isn't saying I'm not needed, I want to keep playing."
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