Philippe Troussier's first choice on the left-hand side of midfield has, to date, been Shinji Ono.

But Hattori has begun to stake his more defensive-minded claim for that spot, although his versatility means he spends much of his time at left back, the centre of defence or even at the heart of the midfield.

His position in the squad had looked severely under threat after he was forced to undergo emergency surgery on his abdomen.

But no one played more games in Japan's run of 21 friendlies.

He topped the appearance charts with 19 caps, equal with Ryuzo Morioka.