Naoya Kikuchi

Naoya Kikuchi (菊地 直哉, Kikuchi Naoya, born November 24, 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer.[1]

Naoya Kikuchi
菊地 直哉
Personal information
Full name Naoya Kikuchi
Date of birth (1984-11-24) November 24, 1984
Place of birth Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1997–1999 Shimizu S-Pulse
2000–2002 Shimizu Commercial High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Júbilo Iwata 79 (5)
2005 → Albirex Niigata (loan) 15 (1)
2008–2009 Carl Zeiss Jena 20 (0)
2009–2010 Oita Trinita 45 (0)
2011–2013 Albirex Niigata 45 (1)
2013–2016 Sagan Tosu 71 (0)
2016–2018 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 33 (0)
2019 Avispa Fukuoka 10 (0)
National team
2001 Japan U-17 3 (0)
2003 Japan U-20 5 (0)
2004 Japan U-23 1 (0)
2010 Japan 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Though naturally a central midfielder, Kikuchi also operated as a central defender and a left-back.

Club career

Kikuchi played for the Shimizu S-Pulse junior youth team and Shimizu Commercial High School, which has a strong soccer tradition with players such as Shinji Ono among its alumni. After graduating the school, he joined Júbilo Iwata and briefly loaned to Albirex Niigata. In 2002, he was invited to have a try-out at Arsenal and later went on to have another trial with Dutch team Feyenoord.[2][3]

On June 13, 2007, Kikuchi was arrested in Hamamatsu city for the charge of a statutory rape on a 15-year-old high school student.[4] He was suspended on indictment and released some days later. On June 29, 2007, he was sacked by the club after the scandal.[5] The Japan Football Association imposed one-year suspension on him.[6] After performing voluntary community service for some months, he moved to Germany and joined FC Carl Zeiss Jena.

In summer 2009, Kikuchi left FC Carl Zeiss Jena. After trialling with another German club, FC Schalke 04, he signed for Oita Trinita on July 27, 2009. In the winter of 2010, Kikuchi transferred from Oita to Albirex Niigata. Kikuchi retired at the end of the 2019 season.[7]

International career

Kikuchi was part of the 2004 Olympic football team for Japan that exited the tournament in the first round, having finished last in group B behind the teams from Paraguay, Italy, and Ghana. He also had an impressive 2001 U-17 World Championship. He capped for Japan U-20 national team at the 2003 World Youth Championship.

He made his full international debut for Japan on January 6, 2010 in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Yemen.[8]

Career statistics

Club
As of end of 2018 season[9]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Total
2003Júbilo IwataJ1 League703020–120
2004181505020301
200590–1140141
Albirex Niigata15120––171
2006Júbilo Iwata3233080–433
2007131–40–171
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
2007–08Carl Zeiss Jena2. Bundesliga3010––40
2008–093. Liga17010––180
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Total
2009Oita TrinitaJ1 League10020––120
2010J2 League35010––360
2011Albirex NiigataJ1 League2302031–281
20121811040–231
201340–30–70
Sagan Tosu15050––200
20142103030–270
20153103010–350
201640–40–80
Consadole SapporoJ2 League17010––180
2017J1 League1601040–210
2018001000–10
Career total 3037350422603869

International
Source:[10]
Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
201010
Total10

References
  1. Naoya Kikuchi at J.League (in Japanese)
  2. Seery, Philip. "Gunners eye Japan starlet". Sky Sports. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  3. "Feyenoord target Japanese teen". The World Game. February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  4. 元磐田の菊地氏がドイツで練習参加 (in Japanese). Nikkan Sport. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
  5. "Jubilo scrap Kikuchi's deal". yomiuri.co.jp.
  6. ジュビロ磐田 菊地 直哉 選手による違反行為に関する本協会裁定委員会の処分案 (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. June 5, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  7. "福岡の35歳DF菊地直哉、現役引退を決断「幸せな17年間になりました」". SOCCERKING (in Japanese). From One. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  8. Japan National Football Team Database
  9. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2017 J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 (NSK MOOK)", 8 February 2017, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411420 (p. 130 out of 289)
  10. Japan National Football Team Database
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