Takayuki Morimoto facts for kids
Morimoto in 2009
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Takayuki Morimoto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Second striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Tsudayama FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2004 | Tokyo Verdy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Tokyo Verdy | 46 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Catania | 81 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Novara | 18 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Catania | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Al-Nasr Dubai (loan) | 13 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | JEF United Chiba | 73 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Kawasaki Frontale | 22 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Avispa Fukuoka | 26 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | AEP Kozani | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Sportivo Luqueño | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Taichung Futuro | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 300 | (54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Japan U-20 | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Japan U-23 | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Japan | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Takayuki Morimoto (森本 貴幸, Morimoto Takayuki, born 7 May 1988) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a second striker, which is a forward player who plays just behind the main striker. Takayuki Morimoto holds a special record in Japanese football. He was the youngest Japanese player to ever play in a professional game. He also became the youngest player to score a goal in the J1 League, Japan's top football league. Morimoto played for Japan in several big tournaments, including the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Years and Tokyo Verdy
Takayuki Morimoto was born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. He started playing football at a young age with Tsudayama FC in 1995. In 1998, he joined the youth teams of Tokyo Verdy, a well-known Japanese club. He was so talented that he moved up to the main team in May 2004. At that time, he was still in high school.
On March 13, 2004, Morimoto made his first appearance in the J1 League. He was only 15 years, 10 months, and 6 days old. This made him the youngest player to ever debut in the league. He scored his first goal on May 5, 2004, just two days before his 16th birthday. This also set a record for the youngest goal scorer in the J1 League. Because of his amazing start, he won the J.League Rookie of the Year Award for the 2004 season. In July 2006, he moved to Italy to play for Catania on a loan deal.
Playing in Italy with Catania
Morimoto played his first game in Italy's top league, Serie A, on January 28, 2007. He came into the game late and scored a goal just five minutes later, helping his team tie the game. Soon after, he had a serious knee injury that kept him from playing for many months. Even with the injury, Catania saw his great potential and signed him permanently in June 2007.
In December 2008, Morimoto signed a new contract with Catania. The 2008–09 season was a very successful one for him. He scored ten goals in 25 games and also helped set up many goals for his teammates. A famous Brazilian player, Alexandre Pato, even said that Morimoto was the best young player in Serie A. He compared Morimoto to the legendary player Ronaldo.
Morimoto continued to play for Catania for a few more seasons. He scored five goals in the 2009–10 season and two more in the 2010–11 season. He played alongside other talented forwards, which sometimes made it harder for him to get playing time.
In July 2011, Morimoto moved to Novara, another team in Serie A. His time there was affected by injuries, and he played in 18 league games, scoring four goals. Novara was relegated to a lower league, and Morimoto returned to Catania in June 2012. In January 2013, he went on loan to Al-Nasr Dubai in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Sicily.
Later Career Journey
After his time in Italy, Morimoto returned to Japan. On August 14, 2013, he joined JEF United Chiba, a team in the J2 League, which is Japan's second-highest football league. He played there for a few years.
In December 2015, Morimoto signed with Kawasaki Frontale, a team back in the J1 League. He played for them in 2016 and 2017. In October 2020, he moved to Greece to play for AEP Kozani. However, the league was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so he could not play any games there.
In January 2021, Morimoto moved to Paraguay and signed with Sportivo Luqueño. He made one appearance for the club in April 2021 before leaving the team. Later, in August 2023, he was set to join Akragas in Italy, but some challenges prevented the move from being completed.
International Career
Takayuki Morimoto also played for Japan's national football teams at different age levels. He represented the Japan U20 national team in 2004 and 2005. In 2008, he was part of the Japan U23 national team that played in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
On October 10, 2009, Morimoto made his debut for the senior national team in a game against Scotland. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win. Just a few days later, on October 14, 2009, he started his first game for Japan and scored his first goal against Togo in a big 5–0 victory. He continued to play for the national team, including being part of the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tokyo Verdy | 2004 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 4 |
| 2005 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 3 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 46 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 51 | 7 | |
| Catania | 2006–07 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2007–08 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | 17 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 2 | – | 24 | 9 | ||
| 2009–10 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 1 | – | 31 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 13 | 2 | ||
| Total | 81 | 15 | 9 | 5 | – | 90 | 20 | ||
| Novara | 2011–12 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 4 | |
| Catania | 2012–13 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | |
| Al-Nasr Dubai (loan) | 2012–13 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 22 | 10 |
| JEF United Chiba | 2013 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 14 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 2 | – | 36 | 12 | ||
| 2015 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 0 | – | 30 | 5 | ||
| Total | 73 | 17 | 7 | 2 | – | 80 | 19 | ||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2016 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 |
| 2017 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 7 | |
| Total | 22 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 36 | 10 | |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 2018 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 25 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 | |
| AEP Kozani | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Sportivo Luqueño | 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 285 | 53 | 31 | 12 | 19 | 6 | 335 | 71 | |
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan U20 | 2004 | 4 | 2 |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 2 | |
| Japan U23 | 2008 | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
| Japan | 2009 | 2 | 1 |
| 2010 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Morimoto goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan U19 goals | ||||||
| 1 | 27 September 2004 | Larkin Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia |  Malaysia |
3–0 | 2004 AFC Youth Championship | |
| 2 | 29 September 2004 | Larkin Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia |  Vietnam |
1–0 | 2004 AFC Youth Championship | |
| Japan U23 goals | ||||||
| 1 | 22 May 2008 | Stade Perruc, Hyères, France |  France |
2–1 | 2008 Toulon Tournament | |
| Japan goals | ||||||
| 1 | 14 October 2009 | Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan |  Togo |
5–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 7 September 2010 | Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan |  Guatemala |
2–1 | Friendly | |
| 3 | ||||||
Honours
Takayuki Morimoto won several awards and championships during his football career:
Tokyo Verdy
- Emperor's Cup: 2004
- Japanese Super Cup: 2005
Kawasaki Frontale
- J1 League: 2017
Individual Awards
- J.League Rookie of the Year: 2004
- Manchester United Premier Cup Most Valuable Player: 2003
See also
In Spanish: Takayuki Morimoto para niños
