Miki Yamane put together another terrific season this year, earning him a spot on the Best XI once again, and he did it without being booked even once. That excellent and disciplined play has landed him the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Fair Play Award.

Yamane has long been known for his cultured and clever play. It was no surprise to see him lead the league in assists with 12. His two goals were a welcome addition to Kawasaki Frontale’s title-winning campaign too. Most amazingly, he managed those attacking numbers as a defender, manning the right back spot with aplomb.

As a right back, Yamane also had to defend match in, match out. He was faced against the league’s top wingers in space, had to tuck in and match up against the top strikers and was tasked with stopping odd-number counterattacks. Yamane did all of that, and he did all of that without committing a single bookable offense. He also limited his fouls. All of that man him the Fair Play Award choice.