Stefan Ishizaki facts for kids
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Stefan Ishizaki in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stefan Daisuke Ishizaki | ||
| Date of birth | 15 May 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rågsveds | |||
| AIK | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2004 | AIK | 103 | (17) |
| 2004 | → Genoa (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | Vålerenga | 15 | (2) |
| 2006–2013 | Elfsborg | 183 | (48) |
| 2014–2015 | LA Galaxy | 50 | (6) |
| 2015–2017 | AIK | 59 | (6) |
| 2018–2019 | Elfsborg | 47 | (3) |
| Total | 461 | (82) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Sweden U16 | 29 | (4) |
| 2000 | Sweden U18 | 3 | (1) |
| 2001–2004 | Sweden U21 | 21 | (5) |
| 2001–2012 | Sweden | 13 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2018 | |||
Stefan Daisuke Ishizaki (born 15 May 1982) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, often in an attacking role. Stefan started his career with AIK in the late 1990s. He also played for clubs like Genoa, Vålerenga, and LA Galaxy. Stefan finished his playing career at Elfsborg in 2019. He also played 13 games for the Swedish national team between 2001 and 2012.
Contents
Stefan Ishizaki's Club Journey
Starting at AIK
Stefan Ishizaki was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and a Japanese father. He began his football journey at Rågsveds. In 1999, he joined the big Swedish club AIK. He made his first team debut that same year in the Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup). Stefan came on as a substitute in the final game. AIK won the Cup, making him the youngest player in Sweden to win it. He was only 16 years and 364 days old.
His first league game was in the 2000 season against Elfsborg. Stefan quickly became a regular player for AIK. He had a standout game against Helsingborg, scoring a goal and helping with two others. He faced some injuries in 2001 but fully recovered for the 2002 season. In 2004, he went on loan to an Italian club, Genoa. After AIK was moved down to a lower league, he joined the Norwegian club Vålerenga.
Playing for Genoa
During the winter break of the 2003–04 season, Stefan Ishizaki joined Genoa in Italy. He was there on a loan deal until the end of the season. Stefan did not play many games for Genoa before he returned to AIK. Genoa had the chance to buy him permanently, but they did not.
Time at Vålerenga
Instead of staying with AIK, Stefan decided to move to Norway. He signed with the Norwegian club Vålerenga in 2005. He helped his new team win the league title. This was a big achievement, as they stopped their rivals, Rosenborg, from winning the league for the 14th time in a row. It was Vålerenga's first title since 1984.
Success with Elfsborg
Stefan Ishizaki returned to Sweden in 2006 and joined Elfsborg. He was an important new player for the team. He helped Elfsborg win the league title at the end of his first season there.
Stefan stayed with Elfsborg for many years after this success. He helped the club win another league title in 2012. He also helped them finish in the top four many times. Before the 2010 season, he signed a new five-year contract with the club.
Adventure with LA Galaxy
Stefan Ishizaki moved to the United States in 2014. He signed with LA Galaxy, a team in Major League Soccer (MLS). While playing for the Galaxy, he helped them win the 2014 MLS Cup. He was a starting player in the final game. Stefan left the club in July 2015. He wanted to return to Sweden to be with his wife, who was expecting a baby.
Coming Back to AIK
On 10 July 2015, it was confirmed that Stefan Ishizaki signed a 2.5-year deal to return to AIK. After the 2017 season, Stefan left AIK when his contract ended.
Final Years at Elfsborg and Retirement
Stefan Ishizaki signed with Elfsborg again in 2018. He joined them on a free transfer. At the end of the 2019 season, Stefan announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Stefan Ishizaki's International Career
Because his father was Japanese and his mother was Swedish, Stefan Ishizaki could have chosen to play for either the Swedish national team or the Japanese national team. In the early 2000s, he decided to play for Sweden and turned down an offer from Japan.
He played for Sweden's youth teams, including the Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 teams. He was part of the Sweden Under-21 team that played in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Sweden reached the semifinals but lost after a penalty shootout. Stefan successfully scored his penalty kick in that game.
For the senior national team, Stefan played 13 games for Sweden between 2001 and 2012. However, he never played in a major international tournament like the World Cup or European Championship.
Honours
AIK
- Svenska Cupen: 1999
Vålerenga
- Eliteserien: 2005
Elfsborg
- Allsvenskan: 2006, 2012
LA Galaxy
- MLS Cup: 2014
- Western Conference: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Stefan Ishizaki para niños
