Naoya Kikuchi

Naoya Kikuchi
菊地直哉
Personal information
Full name	Naoya Kikuchi
Date of birth	November 24, 1984 (age 39)
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
2003–2007	Júbilo Iwata
2005	→ Albirex Niigata (loan)
2008–2009	Carl Zeiss Jena
2009–2010	Oita Trinita
2011–2013	Albirex Niigata
2013–2016	Sagan Tosu
2016–2018	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
2019	Avispa Fukuoka
International career
2001	Japan U-17
2003	Japan U-20
2004	Japan U-23
2010	Japan
Medal record
Júbilo Iwata
Representing Japan
AFC U-19 Championship
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Naoya Kikuchi (菊地直哉, Kikuchi Naoya, born November 24, 1984) is a Japanese former professional footballer he is the current assistant manager of Sagan Tosu.^[1]

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
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		AFC		Total
2003	Júbilo Iwata	J1 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
2005	Albirex Niigata		15	1	2	0	–		–		17	1
2006	Júbilo Iwata		32	3	3	0	8	0	–		43	3
2007	Júbilo Iwata		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	Carl Zeiss Jena	3. Liga	17	0	1	0	–		–		18	0
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		AFC		Total
2009	Oita Trinita	J1 League	10	0	2	0	–		–		12	0
2010	Oita Trinita	J2 League	35	0	1	0	–		–		36	0
2011	Albirex Niigata	J1 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
2013	Sagan Tosu		15	0	5	0	–		–		20	0
2014			21	0	3	0	3	0	–		27	0
2015			31	0	3	0	1	0	–		35	0
2016			4	0	–		4	0	–		8	0
2016	Consadole Sapporo	J2 League	17	0	1	0	–		–		18	0
2017		J1 League	16	0	1	0	4	0	–		21	0
2018		J1 League	0	0	1	0	0	0	–		1	0
Career total			303	7	35	0	42	2	6	0	386	9

International

Source:^[8]

Year	Apps	Goals
Japan national team
2010	1	0
Total	1	0

References

^ Naoya Kikuchi at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)
^ Seery, Philip. "Gunners eye Japan starlet". Sky Sports. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
^ "Feyenoord target Japanese teen". The World Game. February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
^ 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.
^ "Jubilo scrap Kikuchi's deal". yomiuri.co.jp.^{[dead link]}
^ 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.
^ "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.
^ a b Japan National Football Team Database
^ 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)

External links

Naoya Kikuchi – FIFA competition record (archived)
Naoya Kikuchi at National-Football-Teams.com
Japan National Football Team Database
Naoya Kikuchi at Soccerway
Naoya Kikuchi at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)
Profile at Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

[1] Naoya Kikuchi at J.League (archive) (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.^{[dead link]}

[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.

[JNFTD-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)