Yoichiro Kakitani facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 January 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Osaka, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward, attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Tokushima Vortis | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2005 | Cerezo Osaka | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2014 | Cerezo Osaka | 129 | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | → Tokushima Vortis (loan) | 97 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | FC Basel | 18 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Cerezo Osaka | 124 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Nagoya Grampus | 57 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Tokushima Vortis | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Japan U17 | 9 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Japan U20 | 8 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Japan | 18 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Yoichiro Kakitani, born on January 3, 1990, is a Japanese professional footballer. He plays as a forward or an attacking midfielder. Currently, he plays for Tokushima Vortis.
Contents
Club Career: Yoichiro Kakitani's Journey in Football
Starting Young at Cerezo Osaka
Yoichiro Kakitani was born in Osaka, Japan. He started playing football very early. When he was just 4 years old, he joined the youth team of Cerezo Osaka. This was the beginning of his professional journey.
In 2006, at the young age of 16, Kakitani signed his first professional contract with Cerezo Osaka. This made him the youngest player ever to sign a professional contract with the club. He played his first game in the J-League on November 26, 2006. During his youth, he also had the chance to train with famous European clubs like Arsenal F.C. and Inter Milan.
In 2009, Kakitani was loaned to Tokushima Vortis to gain more experience. He played there for a few years before returning to Cerezo Osaka in 2012.
Playing in Europe: FC Basel
On July 7, 2014, Kakitani moved to Europe. He signed a four-year contract with FC Basel, a well-known club in Switzerland. He joined the team for the 2014–15 season.
Kakitani made his debut in the Swiss league on August 2, 2014. He scored his first goal for Basel just one week later, on August 9. That season, Basel did very well. They won the Swiss Super League championship for the sixth time in a row. They also played in the Champions League, a big European competition. They made it to the knockout stage but were later knocked out by Porto.
Even though the team was successful, Kakitani did not play as much as he wanted. He appeared in 28 games out of 50 that season. In the next season (2015–16), he played even less. Because he was not happy with his playing time, he decided to return to Japan. In total, he played 41 games for Basel and scored 14 goals during his 18 months there.
Coming Back Home: Return to Cerezo Osaka
In January 2016, Kakitani left FC Basel and went back to his first club, Cerezo Osaka. While he was away, Cerezo Osaka had moved down to the J2 League. However, with Kakitani back, the team worked hard and returned to the J1 League in 2017.
Another Return: Back to Tokushima Vortis
On January 6, 2023, Yoichiro Kakitani officially announced that he would return to Tokushima Vortis. This was the club where he had played on loan earlier in his career, from 2009 to 2011. He joined them for the 2023 season.
International Career: Representing Japan
Youth Teams: Japan U17 and U20
Kakitani showed his talent early on the international stage. In 2006, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the AFC U-17 Championship. He helped Japan win the tournament by scoring 4 goals.
He also played in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea. There, he scored two goals. One of his goals against France was very impressive, scored from the halfway line! He also played for the Japan U20 team.
Senior Team: Playing for Japan
Kakitani made his debut for the Japan senior team in 2013 at the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup. In his first international match against China, he scored his first goal for the senior team. He then scored two more goals against South Korea, helping Japan win the game 2–1.
His three goals in three matches made him the top goalscorer of the tournament, and Japan won the cup. He continued to play for the national team in 2014.
Honours: What Yoichiro Kakitani Has Won
Yoichiro Kakitani has won several important titles with his clubs and national teams:
With FC Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2014–15, 2015–16
With Cerezo Osaka
- J.League Cup: 2017
- Emperor's Cup: 2017
With Nagoya Grampus
- J.League Cup: 2021
With Japan National Team
- EAFF East Asian Cup: 2013
With Japan U-17 Team
- AFC U-17 Championship: 2006
Individual Awards
- AFC U-17 Championship Most Valuable Player: 2006
- EAFF East Asian Cup Top Scorer: 2013
- J. League Division 1 Player of the Month: May 2013
See also
In Spanish: Yōichirō Kakitani para niños
