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Tadanari Lee
李 忠成
Tadanari Lee.jpg
Lee with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2010
Personal information
Full name Tadanari Lee
Date of birth (1985-12-19) 19 December 1985 (age 38)
Place of birth Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Height 1.82 m
Playing position striker, attacking midfielder
Youth career
1998–2000 Yokogawa Electric
2001–2003 FC Tokyo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004 FC Tokyo 0 (0)
2005–2009 Kashiwa Reysol 108 (24)
2009–2011 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 70 (26)
2012–2014 Southampton 7 (1)
2013 FC Tokyo (loan) 13 (4)
2014–2018 Urawa Reds 133 (24)
2019 Yokohama F. Marinos 10 (1)
2020–2021 Kyoto Sanga 22 (0)
2022–2023 Albirex Niigata (S) 45 (21)
National team
2007–2008 Japan U-23 12 (4)
2011–2012 Japan 11 (2)
Honours
FC Tokyo
Winner J.League Cup 2004
Kashiwa Reysol
Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2008
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Runner-up J.League Cup 2010
Urawa Reds
Winner AFC Champions League 2017
Runner-up J1 League 2014
Runner-up J1 League 2016
Winner J.League Cup 2016
Winner Emperor's Cup 2018
Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2015
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Gold 2011 Qatar
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:34, 18 November 2022 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
Tadanari Lee
Hangul 이충성
Hanja
Revised Romanization I Chung-seong
McCune–Reischauer Yi Ch'ungsŏng
Japanese name:
Ri Tadanari ()

Tadanari Lee (李 忠成, Ri Tadanari, born 19 December 1985) is a Japanese former footballer who played as a striker or attacking-midfielder. He has made 11 appearances for the Japan national team. He is sometimes known as Chung, in reference to his Korean name, Lee Chung-sung.

Lee is known in Japan for coming on as a substitute in the 109th minute of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final held in Qatar and scoring his first international goal to secure a 1–0 win over Australia, giving Japan their fourth Asian Cup success.

Early life and family

Lee was born to third generation Zainichi Korean parents in Tanashi (present-day Nishitokyo), Tokyo. He has Byeokjin Lee (벽진이씨) ancestry. His father was also a footballer, who played for Yokohama Tristar FC in the Japan Soccer League.

His Korean name is Lee Chung-Sung (Korean: 이충성, Hanja: 李 忠成) and also had used pass name Tadanari Ōyama (大山 忠成, Ōyama Tadanari).

Club career

Japan

Lee started playing football at Komine FC and later moved to Yokogawa Electric. In 2001, he joined FC Tokyo youth team and took second places at All Japan Club Youth Soccer tournament, Prince Takamado Cup and J.League Youth tournament. He briefly joined training squads for the South Korea U-19 and U-20 teams but not played at official games. He experienced severe discrimination from Korean teammates referring to him as a ban-jjokbari (half-Jap) with strong racial undertones.

He was promoted to FC Tokyo in 2004 and moved to Kashiwa Reysol in 2005 and later joined Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2009.

Southampton

On 11 January 2012, Lee secured a work permit to allow him to play for Southampton, who confirmed the free transfer on 25 January 2012.

He made his debut for Southampton on 28 January 2012, as a substitute in a fourth round FA Cup match against Millwall. Lee started and played the duration of the replay, failing to score as Millwall won 3–2 after a 92nd-minute winner from Liam Feeney.

He scored his first goal for Southampton in a 4–0 victory over Derby County on 18 February, with a "venomous strike into the far corner" of the goal. He made his first league start one week later, a 3–0 victory away at Watford, with Lee winning a penalty for the third goal scored by Rickie Lambert. After damaging ligaments on 10 March 2012 Lee missed the rest of the season.

His goal won the Southampton's Goal of the Season Award.

After 5 months out injured, he made his return to action with a goal in a 4–1 victory at Stevenage in the League Cup.

He was handed the number 19 shirt for the 2013–14 season after Southampton invited him back to the First Team. He made his first return to the Southampton team after year when starting in the League Cup against Bristol City.

On 14 January 2014 he was released from his contract at Southampton after a two-year spell.

Return to Japan

On 14 February 2013, Lee returned to his former club, FC Tokyo on loan until the end of June. He made his debut on 2 March 2013, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitutee. He scored his first goal for the club on 23 March 2013 in the 77th minute against two-time defending champion Kashima Antlers.

Urawa Red Diamonds

He had a successful spell with Urawa Red Diamonds winning the 2016 J.League Cup, 2017 Suruga Bank Championship, 2017 AFC Champions League and the 2018 Emperor's Cup.

Albirex Niigata Singapore

After nine years in Japan, on 1 January 2022, Lee joined Singapore-based Albirex Niigata (S) on a one-year deal reportedly earning SGD$12,000 per month.l, of which he will donate all of his goal bonus pay-outs, worth $200 per goal, to SportCares. On 19 January 2022, he made his debut in the 2022 Singapore Community Shield, netting a penalty in a 2–1 loss to reigning 2021 Singapore Premier League champions, Lion City Sailors.

He ended the 2022 season winning the 2022 Singapore Premier League title. On 12 December 2022, he extended his contract for another season, for the 20th year of his professional career playing in the 2023 Singapore Premier League season. On 14 September 2023, Lee announced via the club official page that he will retired at the end of the season. On the final league fixture against Hougang United, Lee scored a brace in a 5–0 home victory striking his trademark celebration as his team retain the league title.

International career

In August 2008, Lee was selected Japan U-23 national team for 2008 Summer Olympics. At this tournament, he played all 3 matches.

After becoming a regular starter for Sanfrecce and finishing the 2010 season strongly, Lee was rewarded with a call-up to Japan's 2011 Asian Cup squad and made his full international debut on 9 January 2011 against Jordan. His first international goal was in the 109th minute of the final to secure a 1–0 win over Australia and Japan's fourth Asian Cup success.

Club statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2004 FC Tokyo J1 League 0 0 - - - 0 0
2005 Kashiwa Reysol 8 0 - 3 0 - 11 0
2006 J2 League 31 8 - - - 31 8
2007 J1 League 30 10 1 0 5 0 - 36 10
2008 19 4 4 1 4 0 - 27 5
2009 20 2 - 5 3 - 25 5
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 8 0 2 0 - - 10 0
2010 30 11 2 0 3 2 6 3 41 16
2011 32 15 - 1 0 - 33 15
2011–12 Southampton Championship 7 1 2 0 - - 9 1
2012–13 Premier League 0 0 1 0 2 1 - 3 1
2013 FC Tokyo (loan) J1 League 13 4 - 6 2 - 19 6
2013–14 Southampton Premier League 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2 0
2014 Urawa Reds J1 League 30 6 0 0 8 3 0 0 38 9
2015 24 2 2 1 2 1 5 0 33 4
2016 33 10 1 0 5 2 5 2 44 14
2017 21 3 0 0 1 0 10 4 32 7
2018 20 3 2 0 8 2 - 30 5
2019 Yokohama F. Marinos 10 1 0 0 0 0 - 10 1
2020 Kyoto Sanga J2 League 5 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 0
2021 17 0 0 0 0 0 - 17 0
2022 Albirex Niigata (S) Singapore Premier League 22 10 6 1 1 1 - 29 12
2023 23 11 4 0 1 0 - 28 11
Country Japan 322 78 18 5 51 15 26 9 417 107
England 7 1 3 0 4 1 - 14 2
Singapore 45 21 10 1 2 1 - 57 23
Career total 330 79 25 5 55 16 26 9 436 109

National team statistics

Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
2011 10 2
2012 1 0
Total 11 2

International career statistics

Appearances in major competitions

Team Competition Category Appearances Goals Team Record
Start Sub
 Japan 2008 Summer Olympics qualification U-22 7 2 4 Qualified
 Japan 2008 Summer Olympics U-23 1 2 0 Round 1
 Japan 2011 AFC Asian Cup Senior 0 2 1 Champion

Goals for senior national team

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 29 January 2011 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Australia 0–1 0–1 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final
2. 7 October 2011 Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan  Vietnam 1–0 1–0 International Friendly

Honours

Club

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Southampton

Urawa Red Diamonds

Yokohama F. Marinos

Albirex Niigata (S)

  • Singapore Premier League: 2022, 2023
  • Singapore Community Shield: 2023

International

Japan

See also

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