Hotaru Yamaguchi Explained

Hotaru Yamaguchi
Full Name:Hotaru Yamaguchi
Birth Date:6 October 1990
Birth Place:Nabari, Mie, Japan
Height:1.74 m[1]
Currentclub:Vissel Kobe
Clubnumber:96
Position:Defensive midfielder
Youthyears1:2000–2002
Youthclubs1:Minowa West SC
Youthyears2:2003–2008
Youthclubs2:Cerezo Osaka
Years1:2009–2015
Caps1:140
Goals1:11
Years2:2016
Caps2:6
Goals2:0
Years3:2016–2018
Caps3:84
Goals3:3
Years4:2019–
Caps4:165
Goals4:20
Nationalyears1:2010–2012
Nationalcaps1:29
Nationalgoals1:1
Nationalyears2:2013–2019
Nationalteam2:Japan
Nationalcaps2:48
Nationalgoals2:3
Club-Update:3 December 2023 (UTC)
Ntupdate:19 November 2019

is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Vissel Kobe. He is also a member of the Japan national team.[2]

Club career

Early career

Yamaguchi began playing football in the third grade, playing mostly as an attacking midfielder. Upon entering junior high, he participated in trials with the Cerezo Osaka, Gamba Osaka and Kyoto Purple Sanga youth academies and ultimately joined the Cerezo Under-15 team, from whom he received an invitation on the spot. He enjoyed steady progress at the club, being selected to be part of the first entering class of the Japan Football Association Elite Program at the end of his first year. In 2006 Yamaguchi was promoted to the Cerezo Under-18 team, which later won the JFA Prince League U-18 in the 2008 season, in which he served as captain and was named league MVP.

Cerezo Osaka

Along with academy teammate Yusuke Maruhashi, Yamaguchi was promoted to the senior team in 2009, spending three months of the season training with the Palmeiras Under-21 academy. He was named to the Japan Under-21 team in his second season and played in all of the matches in a gold medal campaign at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Yamaguchi began to receive substantial playing time with Cerezo in 2011, scoring his first league goal on Matchday 24 against Urawa Reds. The addition of Fábio Simplício resulted in Yamaguchi being increasingly deployed as an attacking midfielder toward the latter part of the season, which he finished with 30 appearances. He followed up by winning a regular position in the Cerezo side in 2012, combining with Takahiro Ogihara in central midfield for both club and country, being named to the Under-23 team.

Hannover 96

On 21 December 2015, Hannover 96 announced that they signed Yamaguchi.[3] Yamaguchi played for Hannover 96 in 2016, however returned to Cerezo Osaka mid-season.

International career

Yamaguchi represent the U-23 national side under Takashi Sekizuka in Japan's successful qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was included in the final squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics, contributing to a fourth-place finish at the tournament.

In July 2013, Yamaguchi received his first call up to the senior Japan side by Alberto Zaccheroni for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup, where he played in all three matches and was named tournament MVP.

In May 2018, he was named in Japan's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[4]

Career statistics

Club

[5]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cerezo Osaka2009J2 League300030
2010J1 League20002040
2011171400020231
20123024260404
20133460081427
2014191100080281
2015J2 League3510020371
20161911020221
2017J1 League3225120393
2018330101040390
Total226141631911404027918
Hannover 962015–16Bundesliga600060
Vissel Kobe2019J1 League3435221416
20203461071427
202150001060
Total739524171008913
Career total305212152322114037431

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Japan201380
201470
201591
201661
201780
201870
201931
Total483

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yamaguchi goal.

List of international goals scored by Hotaru Yamaguchi[6]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 5 August 2015 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China 1–1 1–1 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup
2 6 October 2016 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan 2–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 19 November 2019 Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan 1–4 1–4 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup

Honours

Cerezo Osaka

2017

2017

2018

Vissel Kobe

2019[8]

2020[9]

Japan

2013

Japan U-23

2010

Individual

2013

2013, 2017, 2023[10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Team Squad. jfa.or.jp. Japan Football Association. 15 January 2014.
  2. Web site: Guardian.co.uk. Stats Centre: Hotaru Yamaguchi Facts. 13 January 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121001042015/http://guardian.touch-line.com/StatsCentre.asp?Lang=0&CTID=63&CPID=152&pStr=Player&PLID=213980&TEID=3546. 1 October 2012.
  3. Web site: 96 verpflichtet japanischen Nationalspieler Yamaguchi. 22 December 2015.
  4. Web site: World Cup 2018: All the confirmed squads for this summer's finals in Russia.
  5. 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, (p. 145 out of 289)
  6. Web site: Yamaguchi, Hotaru. National Football Teams. 30 January 2017.
  7. Web site: 神戸が悲願の初優勝!井出、武藤のゴールで名古屋に競り勝つ【速報:明治安田J1第33節】. November 25, 2023. J.League.
  8. Web site: Andrés Iniesta skippers Vissel Kobe to first trophy in David Villa's final match. AS. 1 January 2020. 2 January 2020. 2 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210102160431/https://en.as.com/en/2020/01/01/football/1577885627_719505.html. dead.
  9. Web site: Andres Iniesta lifts Japan Super Cup after nine straight pen misses. ESPN. 8 February 2020. 8 February 2020.
  10. Web site: 2023年Jリーグベスト11は神戸と浦和が最多タイ4名! 大迫勇也や西川周作ら. December 5, 2023. Goal.com.