Svend Brodersen was fascinated with Japan as a child -- now the German goalkeeper plays in the country and is fondly known as an "otaku", someone obsessed with Japanese pop culture.
The Hamburg-born 27-year-old also has a Japanese wife, speaks the language and is thinking of studying at a Japanese university when he retires.
"I think everybody has an otaku inside," Brodersen told AFP, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the title of his favourite Japanese comic, "One Punch Man".
"Mine is not so big, but it's there. It's definitely there."
Brodersen moved to Japan in 2021 and now plays for top-tier J.