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Junichi Inamoto

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Junichi Inamoto
Inamoto playing for Kawasaki Frontale in 2010
Personal information
Full name Junichi Inamoto[1]
Date of birth (1979-09-18) 18 September 1979 (age 45)[1]
Place of birth Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder[3]
Youth career
1992–1997 Gamba Osaka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2004 Gamba Osaka 118 (16)
2001–2002 → Arsenal (loan) 0 (0)
2002–2004 → Fulham (loan) 41 (4)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 28 (0)
2004–2005 → Cardiff City (loan) 14 (0)
2006–2007 Galatasaray 25 (0)
2007–2009 Eintracht Frankfurt 43 (0)
2009–2010 Rennes 5 (0)
2010–2014 Kawasaki Frontale 99 (3)
2015–2018 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 47 (1)
2019–2021 SC Sagamihara 19 (1)
2022–2024 Nankatsu SC 2 (0)
Total 441 (25)
International career
1995 Japan U-17 3 (0)
1998–1999 Japan U-20 11 (4)
1998–2000 Japan U-23 15 (5)
2000–2010 Japan 82 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Winner 2000 Lebanon
FIFA Confederations Cup
Runner-up 2001 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一, Inamoto Jun'ichi, born 18 September 1979) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.[4] He is a retired international for the Japan national team.

Club career

[edit]

Gamba Osaka

[edit]

Inamoto was born in Kagoshima Prefecture.[3] He played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1997. In April of that year, at the age of 17, he made his debut in the 1997 J.League season,[4] making him the youngest player in the J.League (at that time).[5] He played for Gamba until summer 2001 and played 118 matches in the J1 League.[4]

Loan to Arsenal

[edit]

Inamoto was then one of many high-profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal of the English Premier League. Inamoto scored two goals for the Japan national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but had already been released by Arsenal shortly before the tournament began.[6]

Loan to Fulham

[edit]

Inamoto was then signed by Fulham on a long-term loan deal from Gamba Osaka.[7] Initially he settled well at the London club,[8] garnering good notices as a tough-tackling midfielder with an eye for a spectacular goal. He became a fan favourite quickly, scoring four goals over the two legs of Fulham's 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup final win against Bologna, scoring once in the first leg[9] and a hat trick in the second.[10] Other notable goals he scored in his time for Fulham include goals against Tottenham Hotspur,[11] Sunderland,[12] Middlesbrough[13] and also in the 3–1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2003.[14] He also scored in the FA Cup against Everton[15] which commentator Barry Davies described as "a Japanese peach".[citation needed] Inamoto was also described as "bigger than Beckham" by the Japanese media.[16] However, he sustained a fractured tibia in an international friendly against England, and returned to Gamba Osaka to do promotional work. Fulham were interested in signing him once more, but concerns remained over his recovery from injury.[17][18]

West Bromwich Albion

[edit]

Inamoto signed with West Bromwich Albion for a decidedly small £200,000 transfer fee, which was only to be paid once he had made an appearance for the Midlands club.[19] However, Gary Megson departed as West Bromwich Albion manager shortly afterwards, and successor Bryan Robson was unsure of the player.

Loan to Cardiff City

[edit]

Inamoto was loaned to Cardiff City for the latter part of the 2004–05 season,[20] and impressed, being recalled to play a role in West Brom's survival campaign in the Premiership. In 2005–06 he was a regular in the West Brom side, and was called up to the Japan squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the first Albion player to play in the tournament for 20 years.[citation needed] While at West Brom Inamoto scored once, an extra time winner in a League Cup tie against former club Fulham on 25 October 2005.[21]

Galatasaray

[edit]

On 31 August 2006, Inamoto signed for Galatasaray.[22]

Eintracht Frankfurt

[edit]

On 29 May 2007, it was revealed that he signed a two-year contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt, joining on a free transfer.[23] Inamoto was presented in a press conference joining fellow Japanese striker Naohiro Takahara in Frankfurt and was released on 30 May 2009.

Rennes

[edit]

On 19 June 2009, French Ligue 1 side Rennes announced that Inamoto had signed a contract with them.[24]

Kawasaki Frontale

[edit]

Inamoto signed for J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale on 11 January 2010 in a move back to his homeland after nine years away in Europe. He played for Frontale for 5 seasons. He left at the end of the 2014 season.[25]

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

[edit]

In 2015, Inamoto then subsequently featured for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (later Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo) in the J2 League. Consadole won the 2016 season and was promoted to J1.[26] However he could only play single-digit matches every season from the 2016 season onward.[4] He resigned at the end of the 2018 season.[27]

SC Sagamihara

[edit]

On 23 January 2019, Inamoto signed with J3 League club SC Sagamihara.[28] On 15 June 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a league match against Gamba Osaka U23.

Nankatsu SC

[edit]

On 18 January 2022, Inamoto signed for fifth tier Kantō Soccer League club, Nankatsu SC. On 30 July 2023, he scored his first goal for the club at the age of 43 in a league match against Toin University of Yokohama scoring a header.

He retired from playing in December 2024.[29]

International career

[edit]

In August 1995, Inamoto was selected for Japan U17 for the 1995 U-17 World Championship. He played all three matches.[30] In April 1999, he was selected for Japan U20 for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.[30] At this tournament, he played three matches as Japan finished second.

On 5 February 2000, Inamoto debuted for the senior Japan national team under manager Philippe Troussier against Mexico.[31] After his debut, Inamoto played ten matches or more every year under Troussier.[31]

In September 2000, Inamoto was selected for Japan U23 for 2000 Summer Olympics. He played the full game in all four matches and scored a goal against Slovakia.[30]

In 2000, Inamoto played at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. He played four matches[31] as Japan won the championship. In 2001, he also played at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played four matches[31] as Japan finished second. In 2002, he was selected by Japan for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He played all four matches and scored two goals against Belgium in the first match and Russia in the second match. Japan qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

After the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Inamoto played at the 2003 and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.[31] In 2006, he was selected by Japan for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches as Japan was eliminated at the group stage.

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, due to generational change, Inamoto was not selected for Japan again until June 2007.[31] After that, he played several matches every year. In 2010, he was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches[31] as Japan qualified for the knockout stage. This World Cup would mark Inamoto’s last game for Japan. In total, he played 82 games and scored 5 goals for the national side.[31]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of 14 October 2022[4][32]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Gamba Osaka 1997 J1 League 27 3 3 0 6 0 – 36 3
1998 28 6 1 0 4 0 – 33 6
1999 22 1 2 0 0 0 – 24 1
2000 28 4 2 0 4 1 – 34 5
2001 13 2 0 0 3 0 – 16 2
Total 118 16 8 0 17 1 – 143 17
Arsenal (loan) 2001–02 Premier League 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 4 0
Fulham (loan) 2002–03 Premier League 19 2 2 0 2 0 10[a] 4 33 6
2003–04 22 2 2 1 1 0 – 25 3
Total 41 4 4 1 3 0 10 4 58 9
West Bromwich Albion 2004–05 Premier League 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 0
2005–06 Premier League 22 0 2 0 2 1 – 26 1
2006–07 Championship 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 0
Total 28 0 2 0 2 1 – 32 1
Cardiff City (loan) 2004–05 Championship 14 0 2 0 0 0 – 16 0
Galatasaray 2006–07 Süper Lig 25 0 3 0 – 5 1 33 1
Eintracht Frankfurt 2007–08 Bundesliga 24 0 2 0 – – 26 0
2008–09 19 0 1 0 – – 20 0
Total 43 0 3 0 – – 46 0
Rennes 2009–10 Ligue 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 – 5 0
Kawasaki Frontale 2010 J1 League 28 0 2 0 4 0 5 0 39 0
2011 12 2 1 0 1 0 – 14 2
2012 20 0 1 0 3 0 – 24 0
2013 25 0 3 0 10 0 – 36 0
2014 14 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 19 1
Total 99 3 8 0 20 0 8 0 135 3
Consadole Sapporo 2015 J2 League 31 0 1 0 – – 32 0
2016 J2 League 8 1 0 0 – – 8 1
2017 J1 League 6 0 0 0 0 0 – 6 0
2018 2 0 1 0 5 0 – 8 0
Total 47 1 2 0 5 0 – 54 0
SC Sagamihara 2019 J3 League 9 1 0 0 – – 9 1
2020 1 0 0 0 – – 1 0
2021 J2 League 9 0 2 0 – – 11 0
Nankatsu SC 2022 Kanto Soccer League 2 0 0 0 – – 2 0
Career total 441 25 34 1 49 2 25 5 549 33
  1. ^ Includes appearances in the Intertoto Cup

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[31]
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2000 14 0
2001 11 1
2002 11 2
2003 10 1
2004 6 0
2005 10 0
2006 4 0
2007 3 0
2008 2 0
2009 4 1
2010 8 0
Total 82 5
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Inamoto goal.
List of international goals scored by Junichi Inamoto
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 4 July 2001 Ōita, Japan  FR Yugoslavia 1–0 Friendly match
2 4 June 2002 Saitama, Japan  Belgium 2–2 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
3 9 June 2002 Yokohama, Japan  Russia 1–0 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
4 28 March 2003 Tokyo, Japan  Uruguay 2–2 Friendly match
5 9 September 2009 Utrecht, Netherlands  Ghana 4–3 Friendly match

Honours

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Fulham

Hokkaido Consodale Sapporo

Japan U17

Japan U20

Japan

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Juni̇chi̇ İnamoto". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Junichi Inamoto: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Junichi Inamoto". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Junichi Inamoto at J.League (archive) (in Japanese) Edit this at Wikidata
  5. ^ goal.com
  6. ^ "Arsenal release Inamoto". BBC Sport. 10 June 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  7. ^ "Inamoto joins". Fulham F.C. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Inamoto gears up". Fulham F.C. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Fulham force draw". BBC Sport. 13 August 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Fulham clinch Euro glory". BBC Sport. 27 August 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Fulham stun Spurs". BBC Sport. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Inamoto sees off Sunderland". BBC Sport. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Fulham hold on for win". BBC Sport. 16 August 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  14. ^ "Fulham stun Man Utd". BBC Sport. 25 October 2003. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  15. ^ "Fulham 2–1 Everton (aet)". BBC Sport. 4 February 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  16. ^ "Bigger than Beckham". Fulham F.C. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Inamoto to leave Fulham". BBC Sport. 29 July 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  18. ^ "Inamoto signs extension". Fulham F.C. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Inamoto signs for West Brom". BBC Sport. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  20. ^ "Cardiff snap up Inamoto on loan". BBC Sport. 23 December 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  21. ^ "Fulham 2–3 West Brom (aet)". BBC Sport. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  22. ^ "Inamoto leaves Baggies for Turkey". BBC Sport. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  23. ^ "Inamoto kommt" (in German). kicker. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  24. ^ "Junichi Inamoto rejoint le Stade Rennais F.C." (in French). staderennais.com. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  25. ^ Kawasaki Frontale (in Japanese)
  26. ^ J.League
  27. ^ Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo Archived 1 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine(in Japanese)
  28. ^ SC Sagamihara(in Japanese)
  29. ^ "Japan's Premier League pioneer Inamoto retires aged 45". France 24. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  30. ^ a b c Junichi Inamoto – FIFA competition record (archived) Edit this at Wikidata
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i Japan National Football Team Database
  32. ^ "Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo". Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  33. ^ "Fulham force draw". BBC Sport. 13 August 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
    "Fulham clinch Euro glory". BBC Sport. 27 August 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  34. ^ "J. Inamoto". Soccerway.com.
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