Shinya Kato facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | September 19, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Kashima Antlers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Kashima Antlers | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | →JEF United Ichihara (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | →Yokohama F. Marinos (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Kashiwa Reysol | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Ehime FC | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Ventforet Kofu | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | AC Nagano Parceiro | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 29 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shinya Kato (born September 19, 1980) is a former Japanese football player. He played as a goalkeeper. He was known for his height and dedication to the sport.
Contents
Shinya Kato's Football Career
Shinya Kato was born in Kashima, Japan. He started his football journey in 1999. He joined the youth team of Kashima Antlers. This club is very famous in Japan's top league, the J1 League.
Early Years and Loan Moves
It was tough for Shinya to play much at Kashima Antlers. Other great goalkeepers were already there. These included Daijiro Takakuwa and Hitoshi Sogahata.
In July 2002, he moved to JEF United Ichihara. This was a temporary move called a loan. A few months later, in October, he went on another loan. This time, he joined Yokohama F. Marinos. Even with these moves, he did not play many games.
He returned to Kashima Antlers in 2003. However, he did not play in any matches that year. He left the club at the end of the 2003 season.
Finding His Place: Kashiwa Reysol and Ehime FC
After taking a year off, Shinya joined Kashiwa Reysol in 2005. He played his first professional league game on November 23. This match was against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. But it was still hard to become the main goalkeeper. Yuta Minami was often chosen to play instead.
In June 2009, Shinya moved to Ehime FC. Here, he started playing more often. The coach, Kazuhito Mochizuki, gave him more chances. Shinya played in 7 league games for Ehime FC.
However, when Coach Mochizuki left, Shinya's playing time changed. He did not play as much under the new coach, Ivica Barbarić.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2010, Shinya joined Ventforet Kofu. But he did not get to play in any games for this club.
His last team was AC Nagano Parceiro in 2011. This team played in the Japan Football League. This is a lower division of Japanese football. He played in 19 games for them. This was the most games he played for any single club.
Shinya Kato decided to stop playing professional football. He retired at the end of the 2011 season. During his career, he played a total of 29 league games.
