Junichi Inamoto facts for kids
Inamoto playing for Kawasaki Frontale in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Junichi Inamoto | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1997 | Gamba Osaka | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | Gamba Osaka | 118 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Arsenal (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | → Fulham (loan) | 41 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | West Bromwich Albion | 28 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Galatasaray | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 43 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Rennes | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Kawasaki Frontale | 99 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 47 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | SC Sagamihara | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Nankatsu SC | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 441 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Japan U-17 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Japan U-20 | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Japan U-23 | 15 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2010 | Japan | 82 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Junichi Inamoto (born September 18, 1979) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was a key player for the Japan national team. He retired from playing in December 2024.
Contents
- Junichi Inamoto's Club Journey
- Inamoto's International Career
- Career Statistics
- Honours and Awards
- See also
Junichi Inamoto's Club Journey
Starting at Gamba Osaka
Junichi Inamoto was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. He started his football career with the Japanese club Gamba Osaka. He joined the club in 1997 while still in high school. In April 1997, at just 17 years old, he played his first game in the 1997 J.League season. This made him the youngest player in the J.League at that time. He played for Gamba Osaka until the summer of 2001. During his time there, he played 118 matches in the J1 League.
Playing for Arsenal
After his time in Japan, Inamoto was one of many players from Asia who moved to play in Europe. He signed with Arsenal, a famous club in the English Premier League. Inamoto scored two goals for the Japan national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. However, Arsenal had already let him go just before the World Cup started.
Loan to Fulham
Inamoto then joined Fulham on a long loan deal from Gamba Osaka. He quickly became popular with Fulham fans. He was known as a strong midfielder who could score amazing goals. He scored four goals in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup final against Bologna. He scored one goal in the first game and three goals in the second game.
He also scored important goals against teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. One of his goals in the FA Cup was described as "a Japanese peach" by a commentator. The Japanese media even said he was "bigger than Beckham". Sadly, he broke a leg bone during a friendly game against England. He went back to Gamba Osaka to recover and help promote the club. Fulham wanted to sign him again, but they were worried about his injury recovery.
Moving to West Bromwich Albion
Inamoto signed with West Bromwich Albion for a small transfer fee. However, the manager, Gary Megson, left soon after. The new manager, Bryan Robson, was not sure about Inamoto.
Loan to Cardiff City
Inamoto was loaned to Cardiff City for part of the 2004–05 season. He played well there and was called back to help West Brom stay in the top league. In the 2005–06 season, he played regularly for West Brom. He was also chosen for Japan's team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was the first West Brom player in 20 years to play in the World Cup. While at West Brom, Inamoto scored one goal. It was a winning goal in extra time against his old club Fulham in a League Cup game in October 2005.
Playing for Galatasaray
On August 31, 2006, Inamoto signed with Galatasaray in Turkey.
Joining Eintracht Frankfurt
On May 29, 2007, Inamoto signed a two-year contract with the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He joined them for free. He was introduced at a press conference alongside another Japanese player, Naohiro Takahara. He left the club on May 30, 2009.
Short Spell at Rennes
On June 19, 2009, the French team Rennes announced that Inamoto had signed with them.
Returning to Japan with Kawasaki Frontale
Inamoto returned to his home country after nine years in Europe. He signed with J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale on January 11, 2010. He played for Frontale for five seasons and left at the end of 2014.
Playing for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
In 2015, Inamoto joined Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the J2 League. His team won the 2016 season and moved up to J1. However, he only played a few matches each season from 2016 onwards. He left the team at the end of the 2018 season.
Moving to SC Sagamihara
On January 23, 2019, Inamoto signed with J3 League club SC Sagamihara. On June 15, 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a league match.
Final Club: Nankatsu SC
On January 18, 2022, Inamoto signed with Nankatsu SC, a club in a lower league called the Kantō Soccer League. On July 30, 2023, at 43 years old, he scored his first goal for the club. It was a header in a league match. He officially retired from playing football in December 2024.
Inamoto's International Career
In August 1995, Inamoto was chosen for Japan's Under-17 team. He played in the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He played in all three matches for his team. In April 1999, he was selected for Japan's Under-20 team for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. Japan came in second place in this tournament, and Inamoto played in three matches.
On February 5, 2000, Inamoto played his first game for the senior Japan national team. This was under manager Philippe Troussier, against Mexico. After his first game, Inamoto played ten or more matches every year for Japan under Troussier.
In September 2000, Inamoto was chosen for Japan's Under-23 team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played the full game in all four matches and scored a goal against Slovakia.
In 2000, Inamoto played in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. He played four matches, and Japan won the championship. In 2001, he also played in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played four matches, and Japan came in second place. In 2002, he was chosen for Japan's team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played in all four matches and scored two goals. He scored against Belgium in the first match and Russia in the second match. Japan made it to the knockout stage for the first time ever.
After the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Inamoto played in the 2003 and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. In 2006, he was chosen for Japan's team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches, but Japan was eliminated in the group stage.
After the 2006 World Cup, new, younger players were joining the team. Inamoto was not chosen for Japan again until June 2007. After that, he played several matches each year. In 2010, he was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches, and Japan made it to the knockout stage again. This World Cup was Inamoto's last game for Japan. In total, he played 82 games and scored 5 goals for his national team.
Career Statistics
Here are Junichi Inamoto's career statistics, showing how many games he played and goals he scored for different clubs and for the national team.
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gamba Osaka | 1997 | J1 League | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 36 | 3 | |
| 1998 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 33 | 6 | |||
| 1999 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2000 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | 34 | 5 | |||
| 2001 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 16 | 2 | |||
| Total | 118 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 1 | – | 143 | 17 | |||
| Arsenal (loan) | 2001–02 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Fulham (loan) | 2002–03 | Premier League | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 33 | 6 |
| 2003–04 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 25 | 3 | |||
| Total | 41 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 58 | 9 | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2004–05 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2006–07 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 32 | 1 | |||
| Cardiff City (loan) | 2004–05 | Championship | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 0 | |
| Galatasaray | 2006–07 | Süper Lig | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | 33 | 1 | |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 43 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 46 | 0 | ||||
| Rennes | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2010 | J1 League | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| 2011 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 14 | 2 | |||
| 2012 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| Total | 99 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 135 | 3 | ||
| Consadole Sapporo | 2015 | J2 League | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | J2 League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | J1 League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 47 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 54 | 0 | |||
| SC Sagamihara | 2019 | J3 League | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | J2 League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 0 | |||
| Nankatsu SC | 2022 | Kanto Soccer League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 441 | 25 | 34 | 1 | 49 | 2 | 25 | 5 | 549 | 33 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2000 | 14 | 0 |
| 2001 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 82 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Inamoto goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 July 2001 | Ōita, Japan |  Yugoslavia |
1–0 | Friendly match | |
| 2 | 4 June 2002 | Saitama, Japan |  Belgium |
2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage | |
| 3 | 9 June 2002 | Yokohama, Japan |  Russia |
1–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage | |
| 4 | 28 March 2003 | Tokyo, Japan |  Uruguay |
2–2 | Friendly match | |
| 5 | 9 September 2009 | Utrecht, Netherlands |  Ghana |
4–3 | Friendly match |
Honours and Awards
Junichi Inamoto won several awards and championships during his football career:
Fulham
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
Hokkaido Consodale Sapporo
- J2 League: 2016
Japan U17
- AFC U-17 Championship: 1994
Japan U20
- FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up: 1999
Japan
- AFC Asian Cup: 2000
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2001
Individual
- J.League Best Eleven: 2000
See also
In Spanish: Jun'ichi Inamoto para niños
