Announcement of Player Dai Tsukamoto's Retirement

Dai Tsukamoto Profile

■ Position
MF

■ Date of Birth
June 23, 2001

■ Place of Birth
Osaka Prefecture

■ Height/Weight
178cm/72kg

■ Team History
Gamba Osaka Junior Youth - Gamba Osaka Youth - Gamba Osaka - Zweigen Kanazawa (loan) - Gamba Osaka - Zweigen Kanazawa

■ Match Records
J1 League: 17 games (0 goals)
J2 League: 0 games (0 goals)
J3 League: 58 games (8 goals)
Cup Matches: 1 game (0 goals)

◼️ Comment

I have decided to retire.

I had originally decided to make a decision on whether to continue playing soccer by April, and considering my current injury situation, I felt it was time to draw a line and made this decision.

Honestly, I still wanted to continue my active career and play until I felt my limits on the field.

My soccer career has always been affected by injuries. The more passion I poured into soccer, the more I wished to succeed, and the harder I worked, my body seemed to scream in protest, and the chain of injuries never stopped. Even this year, I did everything I could to continue my active career. I thought it was about time I was rewarded, and I believed that after all I've done, God must be watching over me, but reality wasn't that kind.

However, I have no regrets about the passion and effort I poured into soccer.

But sometimes, I couldn't help but think how happy I would have been if I had a soccer career without injuries. What kind of player could I have become? These thoughts filled my days, whether I liked it or not.

Each time I suffered an injury, I made an effort to look forward and rise again. Thanks to that, I truly became mentally strong, and before I knew it, I could bounce back from anything. This is proof that I lived my soccer life wholeheartedly and is a great asset.

In terms of results, I may not have left anything behind, but I am grateful to all the people who supported me: my teammates who helped and encouraged each other, the staff who encouraged me daily and sometimes gave me tough guidance, and the supporters who always eagerly awaited my performances. The connections with everyone involved in my soccer life are the greatest asset of all.

The period after suffering two meniscus injuries and the two years in Kanazawa were not easy times that I could have overcome alone.

I was able to get through it thanks to casual conversations and encouragement from my teammates and staff.

And I believe I was able to fight until the very end without breaking, thanks to the supporters who always gave me warm words of encouragement. Thank you very much.

My time as a professional soccer player, an irreplaceable and supremely happy period, is coming to an end, but life ahead is still long, so I want to dedicate myself to my second career with the same passion and commitment as I did to my soccer life.

Thank you.