Toshiya Fujita facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | October 4, 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Shimizu Shogyo High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | University of Tsukuba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2005 | Júbilo Iwata | 336 | (94) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | → Utrecht (loan) | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Nagoya Grampus | 83 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Roasso Kumamoto | 75 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | JEF United Chiba | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 512 | (107) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2005 | Japan | 24 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | VVV-Venlo (Coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Leeds United (Head of Football Development (Asia)) |
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toshiya Fujita (born October 4, 1971) is a former Japanese professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both defense and attack.
Fujita played for several teams, including Júbilo Iwata, Utrecht, Nagoya Grampus, Roasso Kumamoto, and JEF United Chiba. He won many important titles with Júbilo Iwata. He also played for the Japan national team 24 times between 1995 and 2005.
After his playing career, he worked as a coach. From 2017 to 2018, he was the Head of Football Development (Asia) for the English club Leeds United.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Toshiya Fujita started his football journey in high school and college. He then joined Júbilo Iwata in 1994. He was a key player for Júbilo Iwata, helping them become one of the most successful teams in the J1 League, Japan's top football league.
Role as a Midfielder
As a creative midfielder, Fujita was very important to his team. He helped move the ball from defense to attack. He was known for being quiet but very effective on the field. In 1999, his hard work was recognized when he became team captain. He also won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award that year.
Time in Europe
In 2003, Fujita went to play for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands on a loan. This team played in the Eredivisie, the top league there. However, FC Utrecht could not afford to keep him permanently. So, he returned to Japan and played for Júbilo Iwata again.
Later Career in Japan
After 2004, Fujita continued playing for Júbilo Iwata. In 2005, he moved to Nagoya Grampus. Later, he played for J2 League clubs Roasso Kumamoto (2009–10) and JEF United Chiba (2011). He announced his retirement from playing football in June 2012.
International Football for Japan
Toshiya Fujita first played for the Japan national team in February 1995 against Australia. He was selected again in 1999 and played in the 1999 Copa America.
In 2001, he was part of the Japan team for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Japan finished in second place in that tournament. He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification in 2004.
Fujita was also selected for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. Japan won this tournament, making them champions twice in a row. He played a total of 24 games for Japan and scored 3 goals.
Working for Footballers' Rights
Toshiya Fujita also worked to help other footballers. He was the chairman of the Japan Pro-Footballers Association (JPFA) for five years. In 2011, he helped turn this organization into a trade union. This union works to protect the rights and status of all Japanese footballers.
Coaching and Development Roles
After retiring as a player, Fujita started a coaching career. In 2014, he joined the Dutch team VVV-Venlo as part of their coaching staff.
In July 2017, he moved to the English club Leeds United. He became their Head of Football Development (Asia). In this role, he helped find and develop football talent from Asia. For example, Leeds United signed their first Japanese player, Yosuke Ideguchi, in 2018 while Fujita was there. Later in 2018, Fujita left Leeds United to work for the Japanese Football Federation. He became the head of international relations.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Júbilo Iwata | 1994 | J1 League | 38 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 43 | 7 | |
| 1995 | 49 | 11 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 50 | 12 | ||||
| 1996 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | – | 40 | 5 | |||
| 1997 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | – | 34 | 12 | |||
| 1998 | 33 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | – | 42 | 21 | |||
| 1999 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | 36 | 5 | |||
| 2000 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 37 | 10 | |||
| 2001 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | – | 35 | 12 | |||
| 2002 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | – | 40 | 12 | |||
| 2003 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 19 | 6 | |||
| 2004 | 29 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 8 | ||
| 2005 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Utrecht (loan) | 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 14 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Nagoya Grampus | 2005 | J1 League | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2007 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 32 | 2 | |||
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | – | 13 | 1 | |||
| Roasso Kumamoto | 2009 | J2 League | 50 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 51 | 4 | ||
| 2010 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 2 | ||||
| JEF United Chiba | 2011 | J2 League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 512 | 107 | 34 | 7 | 67 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 625 | 123 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1995 | 6 | 2 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fujita goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 23, 1995 | Hong Kong, China |  China |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | June 10, 1995 | Nottingham, England |  Sweden |
1–0 | 2–2 | Umbro Cup |
| 3 | March 31, 2004 | Jalan Besar, Singapore |  Singapore |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Toshiya Fujita won many awards and titles during his football career.
With Júbilo Iwata
- J1 League:
- Winner: 1997, 1999, 2002
- J.League Cup:
- Winner: 1998
- Japanese Super Cup:
- Winner: 2000, 2003, 2004
- Asian Club Championship:
- Winner: 1998–99
- Asian Super Cup:
- Winner: 1999
With Japan National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup:
- Runner-up: 2001
- AFC Asian Cup:
- Winner: 2004
Individual Awards
- J.League Most Valuable Player: 2001
- J.League Best XI: 1998, 2001, 2002
- Japanese Footballer of the Year: 2002
See also
In Spanish: Toshiya Fujita para niños
