Ryotaro Ito’s outstanding February and Match has earned him the first Konami Monthly MVP award of 2023.

Albirex Niigata were blistering hot to start the season and were the MeijI Yasuda J1 League’s last undefeated team, a run of form that was led by the talismanic Ito.

The buzz for Albi’s first match of the season was off the charts with the club making their return to the top flight and Ito delivered, notching two assists to take a valuable away result. He then added a goal against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo two weeks later and then scored the winner in the following match as Albi toppled Kawasaki Frontale.

Moving to the first division is always a challenge, but Albi adjusted with aplomb and that was due in large part to the excellence of Ito.

In J2, Erik was named Konami Monthly MVP after scoring three goals to lead Machida Zelvia to 16 of a possible 18 points in February and March.

Iwate Grulla Morioka’s Tsuyoshi Miyaichi’s was named Konami Monthly MVP in J3. The right winger scored three goals in his club’s four matches to put Iwate squarely in the promotion hunt.