Junichi Inamoto facts for kids
Inamoto playing for Kawasaki Frontale in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 18 September 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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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Honours
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Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一, Inamoto Jun'ichi, born 18 September 1979) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was a key player for the Japan national team. He is known for his strong tackles and powerful shots.
Contents
Club Career
Gamba Osaka
Junichi Inamoto was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. He started his football journey early. He joined the Japanese club Gamba Osaka in 1997. At just 17 years old, he made his first appearance 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 2001. During this time, he played 118 matches in the J1 League.
Loan to Arsenal
In 2001, Inamoto moved to Europe. He joined Arsenal, a famous club in the English Premier League. This was a big step for an Asian player. Even though he scored two goals for Japan at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Arsenal released him before the tournament. He didn't play any league games for them.
Loan to Fulham
After Arsenal, Inamoto joined Fulham on a loan deal. He quickly became popular with the fans. He was known for his strong tackles and amazing goals. He scored four goals in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup final against Bologna. This included a hat-trick 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 called "a Japanese peach" by a commentator. Japanese media even said he was "bigger than Beckham". Sadly, he broke his leg during a game for Japan. This injury meant he had to return to Gamba Osaka.
West Bromwich Albion
Inamoto then signed with West Bromwich Albion in 2004. The transfer fee was quite small. However, the manager who signed him left soon after. The new manager was not sure about him.
Loan to Cardiff City
He was loaned to Cardiff City for part of the 2004–05 season. He played well there and was called back to West Brom. He helped West Brom stay in the Premier League. In the 2005–06 season, he played regularly. He was also chosen for Japan's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored one goal for West Brom, a winner against his old club Fulham.
Galatasaray
On 31 August 2006, Inamoto moved to Turkey. He signed for Galatasaray, a big club in the Süper Lig.
Eintracht Frankfurt
In 2007, Inamoto moved to Germany. He signed a two-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt. He joined fellow Japanese player Naohiro Takahara there. He left the club in 2009.
Rennes
In June 2009, Inamoto signed with Rennes. This was a French club in Ligue 1.
Kawasaki Frontale
In 2010, Inamoto returned to Japan. He joined Kawasaki Frontale in the J1 League. He played for Frontale for five seasons. He left the club at the end of 2014.
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
In 2015, Inamoto joined Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. They were in the J2 League. His team won the 2016 season and moved up to J1. However, he played fewer games each season after that. He left the club in 2018.
SC Sagamihara
In 2019, Inamoto signed with SC Sagamihara in the J3 League. He scored his first goal for the club in June 2019.
Nankatsu SC
In 2022, Inamoto joined Nankatsu SC, a club in the fifth tier Kantō Soccer League. He scored his first goal for them in July 2023. He was 43 years old at the time. He retired from playing football in December 2024.
International Career
Junichi Inamoto also had a great international career for Japan.
He played for Japan's youth teams. In 1995, he played for the Japan U17 in the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship. In 1999, he played for the Japan U20 in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. Japan finished second in that tournament.
In February 2000, Inamoto made his debut for the senior Japan national team. He played many games for Japan every year. In September 2000, he played for the Japan U23 in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played all four matches and scored a goal.
In 2000, Inamoto played in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. Japan won the championship! In 2001, he also played in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Japan finished second in that competition.
In 2002, he was chosen for Japan's team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played all four matches. He scored two important goals: one against Belgium and another against Russia. Japan made it to the knockout stage for the first time ever!
He also played in the 2003 and 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. In 2006, he played in his second 2006 FIFA World Cup. Japan was eliminated in the group stage that year.
After 2006, he was not selected for Japan for a while. But he returned in 2007. In 2010, he was chosen for his third 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches as Japan reached the knockout stage again. This was his last World Cup for Japan. In total, he played 82 games and scored 5 goals for his country.
Honours
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
