Jamshedpur FC midfielder Rei Tachikawa has set his sights on improving his performance from last season and helping his team secure the League Shield.

Tachikawa, who joined the Indian Super League (ISL) club last season, was a key member of the team despite their underwhelming campaign. He scored five goals, making him the second-highest goal scorer for the team, and was one of their primary chance creators.

“Our objective is to win as many games as we can and secure the League Shield. Personally, I want to better my numbers from last season — score, assist, create chances… everything. I have to do my job, and the main goal is to win games,” he said in an interview with indiansuperleague.com during ISL Media Day in Kolkata.

“Last season, I had a lot of responsibility. As a foreign player, you need to contribute in multiple ways. For me, not much has changed from last season, and I need to stay focused on my role,” he added.

Tachikawa signed a one-year contract extension with the club over the summer. He thrived under coach Jamil, who took charge in January, and was a key player in the attack, with three of his goals coming during Jamil’s tenure. Tachikawa is the only foreign player, besides Javi Siverio, from last season who remains with the club. He revealed that Jamil was a significant factor in his decision to extend his contract.

“Jamil values hard-working players, and that’s important to me because you can’t win anything without hard work. Even if we lose games, we train very hard the next day (to correct our mistakes) and this is what I like about him (Jamil). This is why I chose to stay for another season,” Tachikawa asserted.

Under Jamil’s leadership, Jamshedpur FC failed to score in only two league matches — against ISL Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant and ISL Cup winners Mumbai City FC — demonstrating their attacking prowess even against the top teams.

For the upcoming season, Jamshedpur FC have signed Jordan Murray, adding to their attacking options. Tachikawa believes that the team’s attack, bolstered by Murray and Siverio, can make a significant difference in winning games.

“I like Murray because of his character and playing style. We’ve been working together for three weeks and have built a strong connection. We are close friends and teammates. I believe we can create something special and help the team win games. I played with Siverio last season, and we also have a good connection. In terms of attacking, we have the quality to create chances, score goals, and win games,” Tachikawa said.