Ryo Ishizaki, known as Bruce Harper in some international versions, is a central character introduced as the captain of the perpetually unsuccessful Nankatsu Elementary School football team. His meeting with Tsubasa Ozora sparks a crucial friendship, directly influencing Tsubasa's choice to stay at Nankatsu instead of transferring to Toho Academy. He possesses a gutsy, cheerful, and straightforward personality, providing teammates with moral support and frequent comic relief. This often stems from his clumsiness and tendency to quarrel, particularly with teammate Hanji Urabe and his girlfriend Yukari Nishimoto, whose relationship is a recurring element in his personal story. Initially portrayed as error-prone and lacking natural talent or signature techniques, his development relies entirely on relentless effort and determination. This trajectory sees him evolve from a bench player for the Nankatsu Selection Team in elementary national tournaments to a starting defender for Japan's junior and Olympic squads. His dedication leads to his appointment as captain of Nankatsu High School's football team, reflecting improved leadership and on-field contributions. Playing primarily as a right back, his defensive role emphasizes high-energy play to offset technical limitations. He is noted for his "face block" technique, using his body, often his face, to stop goals, though his all-out style occasionally results in own goals. During the Madrid Olympics storyline, his technical skills show marked advancement. He demonstrates enhanced individual ability, effectively evading opponents, making decisive overlapping runs, and contributing offensively with assists and occasional goals. His professional career continues with Jubilo Iwata in Japan's J-League, participating in domestic and international matches, including World Cup qualifiers and tournaments within the "Golden 23" and "Rising Sun" arcs. Statistically, his match participation increases significantly across age groups and professional levels. His teams maintain high win ratios during his tenure, particularly in international qualifiers and tournaments, underscoring his role as a reliable squad member.