Yoshikazu Nagai facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yoshikazu Nagai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | April 16, 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1970 | Urawa Minami High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1988 | Furukawa Electric | 272 | (63) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 272 | (63) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1980 | Japan | 69 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Japan U-20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | JEF United Ichihara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Fukushima FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Albirex Niigata | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Yokohama FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Urawa Reds Ladies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yoshikazu Nagai (永井 良和, born April 16, 1952) is a former Japanese football player. He was a forward who played for the Japan national team. His son, Shunta Nagai, also became a footballer.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Yoshikazu Nagai was born in Saitama, Japan, on April 16, 1952. After finishing high school, he joined a football club called Furukawa Electric in 1971. He played for this club for his entire career.
Club Achievements
During his time with Furukawa Electric, the team won the Japan Soccer League championship twice. They won in 1976 and again in the 1985–86 season. The club also won several cup competitions. They lifted the Emperor's Cup in 1976. They also won the JSL Cup three times: in 1977, 1982, and 1986.
Nagai played 272 games in the league and scored 63 goals. This was a record for the most appearances in the top division of the Japan Soccer League. In 1976, he was named the Japanese Footballer of the Year. He was also chosen for the "Best Eleven" team five times, which means he was considered one of the best players in the league. He retired from playing football in 1988.
Playing for Japan
Yoshikazu Nagai started playing for the Japan national team when he was 19 years old. His first game was on August 13, 1971, against Iceland.
International Tournaments
He played in the qualification matches for the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also took part in the 1974 World Cup qualification games in 1973. Nagai represented Japan at the 1974 and 1978 Asian Games. His last games for Japan were during the qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Japan did not qualify for those Olympics.
Overall, Nagai played 69 games for Japan and scored 9 goals before he stopped playing for the national team in 1980.
National Team Statistics
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1971 | 4 | 1 |
| 1972 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | 5 | 0 |
| 1974 | 4 | 1 |
| 1975 | 11 | 1 |
| 1976 | 17 | 2 |
| 1977 | 5 | 0 |
| 1978 | 12 | 1 |
| 1979 | 9 | 3 |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 69 | 9 |
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Nagai became a coach. He started coaching for his old club, Furukawa Electric, in 1988. This club later changed its name to JEF United Ichihara.
Managing Teams
In 1989, he became the manager for the Japan U-20 national team. He then returned to JEF United Ichihara as manager from 1992 to 1993. In 1996, he managed Fukushima FC for one season. From 1998 to 2000, he was the manager for Albirex Niigata. This club joined the new J2 League in 1999. In 2001, he moved to manage Yokohama FC. Later, from 2006 to 2007, he coached the women's league team Urawa Reds Ladies.
Honors and Recognition
In 2012, Yoshikazu Nagai was honored by being selected for the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This is a special recognition for people who have made a big impact on football in Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Yoshikazu Nagai para niños
