Tomokazu Myojin facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Tomokazu Myojin | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kobe, Hyogo, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Kashiwa Reysol | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2005 | Kashiwa Reysol | 252 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2015 | Gamba Osaka | 250 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Nagoya Grampus | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Nagano Parceiro | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 538 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Japan U-20 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Japan U-23 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Japan | 26 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tomokazu Myojin (明神 智和, Myōjin Tomokazu, born 24 January 1978) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He was a talented midfielder who played for several top clubs in Japan. He also proudly represented the Japan national team.
Contents
Playing for Clubs in Japan
Tomokazu Myojin was born in Kobe, Japan, on January 24, 1978. He started his professional football journey with J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol. He joined their main team in 1996 after playing in their youth system.
Kashiwa Reysol Years
Myojin quickly became an important player for Kashiwa Reysol. He often played as a defensive midfielder. By 1998, he was a regular starter for the team. In 1999, his team won the J.League Cup. They also finished third in the J1 League that year. The next year, in 2000, Kashiwa Reysol again finished third in the J1 League. Myojin's great performance earned him a spot in the Best Eleven team for the league. However, after 2002, the club's results were not as good. They were moved down to the J2 League at the end of the 2005 season.
Success with Gamba Osaka
In 2006, Myojin moved to Gamba Osaka. This team was managed by Akira Nishino, who had also been his manager at Kashiwa Reysol. Myojin became a key player for Gamba Osaka. The team had many players from the Japan national team. Together, they won many titles. They won the 2007 J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup in both 2008 and 2009.
Gamba Osaka also did very well in Asia. They won the 2008 AFC Champions League in 2008. They then finished third in the Club World Cup that same year. This time was known as a "golden era" for Gamba Osaka. Myojin was a central part of their success.
After manager Nishino left in 2011, Gamba Osaka's performance dropped. In 2012, they finished 17th out of 18 clubs and were moved down to the J2 League. Even though Myojin played less from 2013, Gamba Osaka won the J2 League in 2013. This meant they returned to the J1 League. In 2014, Gamba Osaka achieved a rare feat. They won all three major titles in Japan: the J1 League, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. Myojin left Gamba Osaka at the end of the 2015 season.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2016, Myojin joined Nagoya Grampus. He did not play many matches there. Nagoya Grampus also finished 16th and was moved down to the J2 League. In 2017, Myojin moved to J3 League club Nagano Parceiro. He played for three seasons with Nagano Parceiro before deciding to retire from football at the end of 2019.
Playing for Japan
Tomokazu Myojin also had a great career playing for his country, Japan.
Youth National Teams
In June 1997, Myojin was chosen for the Japan U20 national team. He played in the 1997 World Youth Championship. He played every minute of all five matches as a defensive midfielder. In September 2000, he was selected for the Japan U23 national team. He played in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played all four matches as a defensive midfielder alongside Junichi Inamoto.
Senior National Team
Myojin played 26 times for the Japan national team between 2000 and 2002. He scored 3 goals for his country. He was also part of the Japan team that played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played in three games during that World Cup.
Honors and Achievements
Tomokazu Myojin won many awards and championships during his career:
Kashiwa Reysol
- J.League Cup – 1999
Gamba Osaka
- AFC Champions League – 2008
- Pan-Pacific Championship – 2008
- J1 League – 2014
- Emperor's Cup – 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015
- J.League Cup – 2007
- Japanese Super Cup – 2007, 2015
Japan
- AFC Asian Cup – 2000
Individual
- J.League Best Eleven – 2000
See also
In Spanish: Tomokazu Myōjin para niños
