| Louis Yamaguchi 山口 瑠伊 | |
| Fullname: | Louis Takaji Julien Thébault Yamaguchi |
| Birth Date: | 28 May 1998 |
| Birth Place: | La Garenne-Colombes, France |
| Height: | 1.88 m |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | Kawasaki Frontale (on loan from Machida Zelvia) |
| Clubnumber: | 98 |
| Youthclubs1: | FC Waseda |
| Youthyears2: | 2010–2014 |
| Youthclubs2: | FC Tokyo |
| Youthyears3: | 2014–2017 |
| Youthclubs3: | Lorient |
| Years1: | 2017–2019 |
| Caps1: | 33 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2019–2020 |
| Caps2: | 1 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2020–2021 |
| Caps3: | 4 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2022–2023 |
| Caps4: | 63 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2024– |
| Caps5: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2024 |
| Clubs6: | → Kawasaki Frontale (loan) |
| Caps6: | 0 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2016 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2017 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2018–2019 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 02:50, 10 September 2024 (UTC) |
Louis Takaji Julien Thébault Yamaguchi (ja|山口 瑠伊, born 28 May 1998) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale, on loan from Machida Zelvia. Born in France, he is a youth international for Japan.
Born in La Garenne-Colombes, Paris to a French father and a Japanese mother, Yamaguchi moved to Tokyo at six months old,[1] and returned to France at the age of 16, joining FC Lorient's youth setup.[2] On 16 June 2017, after finishing his formation, he moved to Spanish Segunda División B side Extremadura UD, being initially assigned to the reserves.[3]
Yamaguchi made his senior debut on 3 September 2017, starting in a 1–0 Tercera División home loss against UD Montijo. He became a regular starter for the B-side during the following seasons, and ahead of the 2019–20 campaign, he was definitely promoted to the first team as a backup to Casto.
Yamaguchi made his professional debut on 3 November 2019, starting in a 3–1 home loss against Girona FC in the Segunda División.[4] He left the club in the following July, as his contract expired, and joined Recreativo de Huelva in the third division on 11 August.[5]
After leaving Recreativo in July 2021, Yamaguchi signed with J2 League club Mito HollyHock in January 2022.[6] He made his club debut in a 2-1 loss to Thespakusatsu Gunma as the team's starting goalkeeper, replacing Shu Mogi.[7]
In January 2024, Yamaguchi joined newly promoted J1 League club FC Machida Zelvia.[8] He appeared in one match, a 1-1 (2-4) penalty shootout loss to the fifth-division University of Tsukuba team in the Emperor's Cup, before being sent on loan to Kawasaki Frontale.[9] Yamaguchi made his club debut for Frontale keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Ventforet Kofu in the J.League Cup quarter-finals.[10]
Yamaguchi represented Japan at under-19, under-20 and under-23 levels. He was a member of the Japanese squad at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the squad that finished runners-up in the 2019 Toulon Tournament.