The manager said it took you a while to find your feet this season - is that a fair assessment? I think that's fair. After playing in the Confederations Cup over the summer, I was a bit late joining the team. Under a new manager all the players were starting from scratch but I felt a little behind the others. It's hard to reach peak condition at the start of the season and the truth is I wasn't satisfied early on. I didn't play in many games at the start but I believed if I trained harder I would get the rewards. My fitness is much better now and will improve even more in time. I'm not quite in optimum form but I'm feeling good.
You picked up your first winner's medal in England last season. A lot of the players say that winning trophies only makes them more hungry to achieve more - is that how you feel? I won the league two years in a row at Dortmund and last year I won the title with United, which was a special experience. I'm lucky to have played for teams who are winning silverware. But you never get bored of it - it's always new and different and fresh. I want to win more and more each year and I'll do my best in every competition I play in.
Though you missed a chunk of last season through injury, you still played plenty of games. Were you satisfied with your contribution to the title win? Getting injured early on last season was sad and disappointing. After my transfer I was very aware of people's expectations but I couldn't meet them, which was frustrating. Later in the season I got some chances to play and by then I was more accustomed to the team and my environment, so I played much better than I had in the first half of the campaign although I wasn't 100 per cent satisfied overall. This season I want to improve my performances and make this season better than the last. Even though I haven't yet scored this season, I believe one goal will give me confidence and set me on my way.
At the end of last season, the club went through its biggest overhaul in a quarter of a century. How big an adjustment did you personally have to make when the new coaching regime began?The change of manager meant the competition for places in the team started all over again. I had to appeal to the way David Moyes wants to play. Every day I work really hard to win this competition, to prove my ability to the manager. His demands are not out of the ordinary but I'm still trying to improve my own skills and maintain my fitness, to work hard and achieve more for the team.
We know your preferred position is behind the main striker but are you comfortable playing on the left now? I played behind the main striker at Dortmund but I usually play on the left with Japan, and I also took this role at Cerezo Osaka. I have some experience out wide but I think I should be flexible enough to play in a number of roles, so I'm a more attractive player to the team and can contribute even more. Every day I'm learning how to trouble my opponents on the left, how best to cause them problems with my movement, but I'd still like to be capable of taking up more positions.
Do you relish it when the games come thick and fast? It must be a novel experience for you at this time of year...That's very true! I didn't experience it fully with United last season because of my injury, and of course they have a winter break in the Bundesliga. Actually, I emailed some of my former team-mates in Dortmund and they told me their break this year is from 21 December to 25 January. I was gutted! But the truth is I'm quite excited and happy to have the chance to participate in the run of games at this time.
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