Japan defender Gotoku Sakai has been appointed the new captain of SV Hamburg, the German first-division side announced on Thursday.

Markus Gisdol handed the role to the 25-year-old Sakai, who takes over in an unusual mid-season switch from Johan Djourou.

“It is a great honor for me,” Sakai said in a club statement. “The important thing now is that we battle collectively as a team and pick up points.”

Sakai joined Hamburg from Stuttgart last year after he saw his playing time decrease from the middle of the 2014 campaign.

Born to a Japanese father and a German mother, Sakai moved to Stuttgart from J. League club Albirex Niigata in January 2011.