Tsuneyasu Miyamoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
宮本 恒靖

May 2006 in Tokyo
Personal information
Full name	Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
Date of birth	(1977-02-07) 7 February 1977 (age 48)
Place of birth	Tondabayashi, Osaka, Japan
Height	1.76 m
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
1992–1994	Gamba Osaka
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–2006	Gamba Osaka	295	(7)
2007–2008	Red Bull Salzburg	21	(0)
2009–2011	Vissel Kobe	42	(1)
Total		358	(8)
National team
1993	Japan U-17	4	(0)
1997	Japan U-20	5	(0)
2000	Japan U-23	1	(0)
2000–2006	Japan	71	(3)
Teams managed
2017–2018	Gamba Osaka U-23
2018–2021	Gamba Osaka
Honours Gamba Osaka Winner J1 League 2005 Runner-up J.League Cup 2005 Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2006 Representing  Japan AFC Asian Cup Gold 2004 China
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (born February 7, 1977) is a famous Japanese football player and coach. He used to play as a defender. Miyamoto was also the captain of the Japan national team. He led his country in major tournaments like the World Cup and the Asian Cup.

After his playing career, he became a coach. He even coached his former club, Gamba Osaka. Today, he is the president of the Japan Football Association. Miyamoto is also a graduate of the 13th edition of FIFA Master, which is a special program for sports management.

Playing Career Highlights

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto was born in Tondabayashi, Japan. He started playing football at a young age. He joined the youth team of Gamba Osaka in 1992. Later, he became a professional player for the same club in 1995.

Early Years at Gamba Osaka

Miyamoto played for Gamba Osaka for many years. He also continued his studies at Doshisha University while playing professionally. He learned to speak fluent English and some French. This was thanks to his teammates and coaches. Later, while playing in Austria, he learned German too.

At first, Miyamoto played in different positions. He was a defender and sometimes a defensive midfielder. By the late 1990s, he became a strong central defender. He was known for his leadership skills on the field.

Captaincy and Club Success

Miyamoto became the captain of Gamba Osaka in 2004. However, he sometimes had to sit on the bench for his club. This was because he spent a lot of time with the national team. Despite this, he always showed great professionalism. In 2005, his team, Gamba Osaka, won the J1 League championship. This was a big achievement for the club.

Moving to Europe

In December 2006, Miyamoto moved to Europe. He signed with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He played there for a couple of seasons. He then returned to Japan in 2009. He joined Vissel Kobe. At Vissel Kobe, he became captain and played as a center-back. His playing time decreased after 2010. He officially retired from playing football in December 2011.

International Football for Japan

Miyamoto also had a great career playing for his country. He played for Japan's youth teams. He was part of the Japan U17 team in the 1993 U-17 World Championship. He also played for the Japan U20 team in the 1997 World Youth Championship. He played every minute in both tournaments. In 2000, he was selected for the Japan U23 team for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Leading the National Team

Miyamoto made his debut for the Japan national team in June 2000. He became the captain of Japan during the 2002 World Cup. This happened after another player, Ryuzo Morioka, got injured. He continued to be the captain for the 2004 Asian Cup and the 2006 World Cup.

At the 2004 Asian Cup, Miyamoto played in all six matches. Japan won the championship, which was a huge success. In the 2006 World Cup, he played in the first two group matches. However, he received two yellow cards. This meant he could not play in the final group match against Brazil. The 2006 World Cup was his last time playing for Japan. He played 71 games for his country and scored 3 goals.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Miyamoto started coaching. He began coaching at Gamba Osaka in 2015. In 2017, he became the manager for Gamba Osaka U-23.

Managing Gamba Osaka

In July 2018, Miyamoto was named the new manager of the main Gamba Osaka team. The team was struggling at the time. He helped improve their performance. In the 2018 season, he led Gamba Osaka to 9th place. However, in May 2021, Miyamoto was removed from his coaching role. This happened because the team had a difficult start to the season.

Career Statistics Summary

Here's a quick look at Tsuneyasu Miyamoto's playing career numbers:

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Managerial Statistics Summary

Here's a summary of his coaching record:

Achievements and Awards

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has won several honors throughout his career:

With Gamba Osaka

• J1 League: 2005 (Champions)

With Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2007 (Champions)

With Japan National Team

• AFC Asian Cup: 2004 (Champions)

Individual Awards

• AFC Asian Cup Best Eleven: 2004 (Recognized as one of the best players)
• J.League Manager of the Year: 2020 (Best manager in the league)