Hiroto Goya

In search of more game time Goya was sent on loan to Tokushima Vortis for the 2018 season. However injury restricted him to just 7 games in which time he netted once before returning to Gamba for 2019.

At senior level, 2017 was also a disappointment with his game time much less than in the previous season. He played just 9 times in J1 League, scoring once, a 92nd minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw away to Urawa Red Diamonds. He also made one appearance in both the Emperor's Cup and the J.League Cup to take his senior total to just one goal in 11 appearances.

After graduating from Kwansei Gakuin University, Goya signed for J1 League side Gamba Osaka ahead of the 2016 season and was handed the number 23 jersey. He made his J1 League debut as a second-half replacement for Shun Nagasawa in a 1-0 win away to Ventforet Kofu on 6 March 2016. He scored once in 14 league games during his first campaign at senior level with the goal coming against Albirex Niigata on 29 October. Goya also appeared once in both the Emperor's Cup and the AFC Champions League as well as scoring one goal in 4 substitute appearances in the J.League Cup. Unfortunately for him, he missed the decisive penalty in the final of the competition against Urawa Red Diamonds.

Although he found goals hard to come by for Gamba's top team in 2016, he had no such issues when playing for Gamba Under-23 in J3 where he found the back of the net 7 times in just 11 appearances. The following year Gamba's Under-23 side was run more as a youth team unlike the reserve team status it had held in 2016 and as such Goya only played twice and didn't manage to notch any goals in those limited appearances.