Japan captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto believes the current national team is stronger than the side that reached the second round of the 2002 World Cup -- thanks to former coach Philippe Troussier.
Troussier, who guided Japan to the knockout stages in Japan and South Korea for the first time, ran the team with an iron fist but Miyamoto says the players have matured as a result and the colorful Frenchman can take the credit.
"In 2002 Troussier taught us everything about football and how to behave as professionals," Miyamoto told Kyodo News at Japan's training camp in Miyazaki on Thursday.
"Now we know how to think by ourselves and are more mature players and I think (Troussier) can take the credit for that for sure. We were young players (in 2002) and he was just the kind of coach we needed," the Gamba Osaka defender said.