Suzuki praises Nishikawa's J1 appearance record

What happened

Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has congratulated Urawa Reds goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa after Nishikawa set a new J1 League record for appearances, according to a report by Soccer King.

Report details

Nishikawa played in Urawa's Meiji Yasuda J1 League matchday 14 game against Vissel Kobe, surpassing the previous J1 record of 672 appearances held by Yasuhito Endo to stand alone at the top of the all-time list. After the Kobe match, Nishikawa said the milestone was thanks to those who support him, and that he would not be satisfied with the number of games but would keep fighting with responsibility for each match.

Suzuki and Nishikawa share a senior-junior relationship from their time at Urawa. Suzuki had already appeared on Urawa's official social media with a congratulatory message, and when asked again he praised Nishikawa, calling it simply wonderful. He said he knows how excellent Nishikawa's mentality and mindset are, and that this influence has helped him control his emotions and maintain his own mentality. He added that Nishikawa will always remain a player he respects.

The two are said to still be in frequent contact. Suzuki indicated that Nishikawa appears to watch his games and that they communicate. Suzuki left Urawa for Sint-Truiden in 2023 and has since moved on to Parma and Aston Villa, and the report says their mentor-student relationship continues roughly three years after he went abroad.