SINGAPORE – Even when he makes a save, Zion Suzuki is thinking about what he could have done better.

That is the mindset that has propelled the 24-year-old from World Cup breakout star to history maker and Premier League starter in six short months.

His €30 million (S$42.8 million) move from Serie A side Parma to Aston Villa in August made him the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the English top flight.

Yet the Japan No. 1 believes he is far from the finished product.

Speaking to the media after Japan’s training session at Bishan Stadium on Nov 11, Suzuki said: “Things may look like they are going well from the outside, but... I review each game and look for ways to improve.

“I feel like there are more things I can improve on, than not. Even in (scenarios) where I make a save, I’m always looking for things I could have done better.”

Born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother, Suzuki, who grew up in Urawa, Japan, said his focus is on learning rather than dwelling on negativity or outside opinion, while making sure he does not become too hard on himself.

“Rather than focusing on results or what people around me think, I’m trying to find what I can learn from (situations),” he added.

“I sometimes think that if I only look at what isn’t going well, it can become mentally exhausting.”

It is an outlook he has long held, even before the World Cup.

“Of course big saves are important but above all I want to become a goalkeeper who brings stability to the team,” he told FIFA’s website in May.

“Doing the simple things well consistently, playing with the determination not to concede.”

That mindset has driven a rapid rise as Suzuki came through the ranks at Urawa Red Diamonds before moves to Belgian side Sint-Truiden and Parma, where he became the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Italian top flight.

His performances at the World Cup in June and July, where Japan were knocked out 2-1 by Brazil in the round of 32 with an injury-time goal, earned him the transfer to Villa, which made him the club’s first Asian player.

He has impressed in the Premier League too, not only with his shot-stopping but also with his range of passing; after seven league games, Suzuki even led his teammates in passes made into the final third.

Former Japan assistant coach Tsutomu Ogura praised Suzuki’s attitude as a big factor in his quick adaptation to English football.

“He possesses an outstanding mentality; beyond his physical attributes as a player, he is deeply committed and highly trusted by his teammates – which is likely a key reason why he has been able to succeed in the EPL,” said Ogura, who was head coach of Singapore’s national team from 2024 to 2025.

Villa, who are also competing in the Champions League, sit 10th in the Premier League after 10 games and Suzuki admitted the results have not always matched his own progress.

He said: “We’ve had plenty of chances to play strong teams, and I tried to put certain things into practice. There are also areas I need to work on, and I’ve shown (improvement in) some of that based on where I was before.

“So I’m disappointed that the results didn’t follow, but I made some good discoveries, and I think this is a chance to improve and get stronger.”

Suzuki will get another chance to put the lessons he has learnt into practice when World No. 17 Japan take on sixth-ranked Brazil on Nov 14 in a rematch of their World Cup clash in the Mizuho Blue Challenge – The Kallang Football Series Singapore.

The Samurai Blue will then face Paraguay on Nov 17 to conclude the quadrangular tournament.

Asked about his first months in England, Suzuki said in English: “It has been great. I’m very happy to join Aston Villa, and everything has been going well for me.

“Now I’m feeling a bit of adversity to overcome,” he said, without elaborating. “Now it’s the time to improve, and I’m very happy to be here.”