Ryuji Kato facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryuji Kato | ||
| Date of birth | December 24, 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Tokyo, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft +1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985–1987 | Urawa Gakuin High School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988–1991 | Toho Titanium | ||
| 1991–1993 | Tokyo Gas | 60 | (0) |
| 1994 | PJM Futures | 28 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Kashiwa Reysol | 40 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Consadole Sapporo | 0 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Sagawa Express Tokyo | 52 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Rosso Kumamoto | 14 | (0) |
| 2014 | Roasso Kumamoto | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 196 | (0) | |
|
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Ryuji Kato (加藤 竜二, Katō Ryūji, born December 24, 1969) is a former Japanese football player. He was a goalkeeper who played for many teams in Japan.
Contents
Ryuji Kato's Playing Career
Ryuji Kato was born in Tokyo, Japan, on December 24, 1969. After finishing high school, he started his football journey.
Early Club Years
In 1988, Ryuji Kato joined Toho Titanium, a club in the Japan Soccer League (JSL). He quickly became their main goalkeeper. In 1991, he moved to another JSL club, Tokyo Gas, where he played for three seasons.
Moving to New Teams
In 1994, Kato joined PJM Futures in the Japan Football League. The next year, in 1995, he moved to Kashiwa Reysol. This team had just been promoted to the top league, J1 League. He played many games in 1995. However, after 1996, he played less often because of another strong goalkeeper, Yoichi Doi.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1998, Ryuji Kato moved to Consadole Sapporo. He found it hard to get playing time there. Other goalkeepers like Dido Havenaar and Yohei Sato were often chosen instead. In 2000, he joined Sanfrecce Hiroshima, but again, he didn't play much.
In May 2002, he moved to Sagawa Express Tokyo in the Japan Football League (JFL). He played many matches for this team over three seasons. In 2005, he joined Rosso Kumamoto, a club in the Regional Leagues. He played a lot in 2005, and his team was promoted to the JFL in 2006.
Ryuji Kato also started working as a goalkeeper coach for Rosso Kumamoto in 2006. The club was promoted to the J2 League at the end of 2007. He officially stopped playing football at the end of the 2007 season.
A Brief Comeback
On April 18, 2014, Ryuji Kato made a short return to playing. This happened because several goalkeepers on his former team, Roasso Kumamoto, were injured. However, he did not play in any matches during this time. His registration as a player was removed just a week later, on April 25.
Coaching Career
Ryuji Kato began his coaching journey while still playing.
Coaching at Roasso Kumamoto
In 2006, while playing for Rosso Kumamoto, he also took on the role of goalkeeper coach. He continued to coach this club until the end of the 2014 season.
Moving to JFA Academy
In 2015, Ryuji Kato moved to the JFA Academy Fukushima LSC. There, he continued his work as a goalkeeper coach, helping young players develop their skills.
