Naoya Kikuchi

Naoya Kikuchi

Personal information
Full name	Naoya Kikuchi
Date of birth	(1984-11-24) November 24, 1984
Place of birth	Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan
Height
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder / Defender
Team information
Current team	Sagan Tosu
Number	36
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	15	(1)
2008–2009	Carl Zeiss Jena	20	(0)
2009–2010	Oita Trinita	45	(0)
2011–2013	Albirex Niigata	45	(1)
2013	→ Sagan Tosu	15	(0)
2014–	Sagan Tosu	21	(0)
International career‡
2001–2002	Japan U-17
2002–2004	Japan U-20
2004	Japan U-23
2010	Japan	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 March 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 28, 2011

Naoya Kikuchi (菊地 直哉, Kikuchi Naoya, born November 24, 1984 in Shimizu, Shizuoka) is a professional Japanese footballer currently playing for Sagan Tosu.

Kikuchi is naturally a central midfielder, but is also able to operate 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 F.C. and later went on to have another trial with a Dutch team, Feyenoord.

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. He was suspended on indictment and released some days later. On June 29, 2007, he was sacked by the club after the scandal. The Japan Football Association imposed one-year suspension on him. 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 and joined another German club, FC Schalke 04, on trial and signed on July 27, 2009, for Oita Trinita.

In the winter of 2010, Kikuchi transferred from Oita to Albirex Niigata.

International career

He 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 World U-17 Championship tournament in 2001. He capped for Japan U-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

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

Club team career statistics

Last update: 1 March 2015

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
2003	Júbilo Iwata	J. League	7	0	3	0	2	0	–		12	0
2004			18	1	5	0	5	0	2	0	30	1
2005			9	0	–		1	1	4	0	14	1
	Albirex Niigata		15	1	2	0	–		–		17	1
2006	Júbilo Iwata		32	3	3	0	8	0	–		43	3
2007			13	1	–		4	0	–		17	1
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Other		Europe		Total
2007–08	Carl Zeiss Jena	2. Bundesliga	3	0	1	0	–		–		4	0
2008–09		3. Liga	17	0	1	0	–		–		18	0
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
2009	Oita Trinita	J. League	10	0	2	0	–		–		12	0
2010		J. League 2	35	0	1	0	–		–		36	0
2011	Albirex Niigata	J. League	23	0	2	0	3	1	–		28	1
2012			18	1	1	0	4	0	–		23	1
2013			4	0	–		3	0	–		7	0
	Sagan Tosu		15	0	5	0	–		–		20	0
2014			21	0	3	0	3	0	–		27	0
2015			0	0	0	0	0	0	–		0	0
Career total			240	7	29	0	33	2	6	0	308	9

External links

• Naoya Kikuchi – FIFA competition record