Yasuhito Endō

Yasuhito Endō

Endō playing for Japan in 2010
Personal information
Full nameYasuhito Endō[1]
Date of birth28 January 1980
Place of birthSakurajima Town,
Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Playing positionCentral midfielder
Club information
Current team
Gamba Osaka
Number7
Youth career
1995–1997Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1998–1999Yokohama Flügels16(1)
1999–2001Kyoto Purple Sanga53(9)
2001–Gamba Osaka436(88)
National team
1998–1999Japan U-2011(1)
1999Japan U-237(0)
2002–[3]Japan152(15)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 March 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 January 2015

Yasuhito Endō (遠藤 保仁 Endō Yasuhito, born 28 January 1980 in Kagoshima City in Kagoshima Prefecture) is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka.[4] His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, is also a former professional footballer, and was selected as one of Japan under-23 national football team members played at 1996 Olympics. He is considered a cult hero at Gamba Osaka and the Japan National Football Team. It is because he has formidable passing ability, leadership, and goal scoring ability. He is also known for his excellent accuracy on free kicks and is revered as one of Japan's most creative midfielders as well as one of the most talented Japanese footballers of his generation, despite playing domestically in his home country.

Career

In 2011, he became the first J. League player to be named in the J. League Best Eleven 9 times. In 2009, he was named "Player of the Year" by the Asian Football Confederation.[5]

In 2012, he extended his record and became the first Japanese player to be selected in the J. League Best Eleven ten consecutive times in a row in the midfield position.[6]

International career

Endō played 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and Japan finished as runner-up, losing to Spain in the final. Since 2002, Endō has been a member of the senior national team, and was selected for Japan's 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup squads.[7] He also was a member of the 2004 and 2011 AFC Asian Cup winning teams.

On 24 June 2010, Endō scored from a free-kick against Denmark in a 3–1 win as Japan qualified for the second round of the World Cup.[8]

On 12 October 2010, he became the fourth player to earn 100th full international cap for Japan in a friendly match against South Korea. On 16 October 2012, Endo became Japan's most capped player in a friendly against Brazil.[9] His start in this match was his 123rd appearance for the national team, surpassing Masami Ihara's previous record of 122 caps.[9]

Endō playing for Gamba Osaka in a AFC Champions League match against Melbourne Victory

Endō was included in Japan's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and scored the team's opening goal of the tournament in a 4–0 defeat of Palestine.[10] In the team's next match, he won his 150th cap as Japan defeated Iraq 1–0.[11]

Career statistics

As of 23 March 2015
Club Season League Emperor's Cup League Cup Champions League Other* Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kagoshima Jitsugyō H.S. 1997 1010
Total 1010
Yokohama Flügels 1998 161-40201
Total 161-40201
Kyoto Purple Sanga 1999 2442020284
2000 2951061366
Total 53930806410
Gamba Osaka 2001 2943140365
2002 3051081396
2003 3042060384
2004 29930-329
2005 331020403910
2006 25941-53413814
2007 348408110479
2008 2763010103324411
2009 3210432061104514
2010 30322-3010365
2011 334--71-405
2012 345432041-449
2013 335----335
2014 3465060--456
2015 6100004010111
Total 439893710412399113567113
Career total 508994110533399113652124

*Includes other competitive competitions, including the Japanese Super Cup, A3 Champions Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
200210
2003111
2004162
200580
200680
2007131
2008163
2009120
2010152
2011130
2012111
2013162
201482
201541
Total15215

International goals

Endō playing for Gamba Osaka in 2011
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 20 August 2003 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  Nigeria
3–0
3–0
Friendly Match (Kirin Challenge Cup 2003)
2. 7 February 2004 Kashima Stadium, Kashima, Japan  Malaysia
4–0
4–0
Friendly Match (Kirin Challenge Cup 2004)
3. 7 July 2004 International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan  Serbia and Montenegro
1–0
1–0
Kirin Cup 2004
4. 16 July 2007 My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam  Vietnam
2–1
4–1
2007 AFC Asian Cup
5. 6 February 2008 Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan  Thailand
1–0
4–1
2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
6. 7 June 2008 Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat, Oman  Oman
1–1
1–1
2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
7. 6 September 2008 Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain  Bahrain
2–0
3–2
2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
8. 14 February 2010 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  South Korea
1–0
1–3
2010 East Asian Football Championship
9. 24 June 2010 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa  Denmark
2–0
3–1
2010 FIFA World Cup
10. 15 August 2012 Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan  Venezuela
1–0
1–1
Friendly
11. 6 September 2013 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan  Guatemala
3–0
3–0
Friendly
12. 10 September 2013 International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan  Ghana
2–1
3–1
Friendly
13. 2 June 2014 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States  Costa Rica
1–1
3–1
Friendly
14. 14 November 2014 Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan  Honduras
3–0
6–0
Friendly
15. 12 January 2015 Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia  Palestine
1–0
4–0
2015 AFC Asian Cup

Honours

Club

Yokohama Flügels
Gamba Osaka

International

Individual

References

  1. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 16. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  2. "National Team Squad". jfa.or.jp. Japan Football Association. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  3. "ENDO Yasuhito". Japan National Football Team Database.
  4. (Japanese) Players | GAMBA OSAKA Official Site
  5. "Japan's Yasuhito Endō Named AFC Player of the Year". Goal.com. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  6. "J. League Awards 2012". J. League. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  7. FIFA.com
  8. Sheringham, Sam (24 June 2010). "Denmark 1–3 Japan". BBC Sport (BBC). Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "SOCCER/ Endo's Japan record ruined by Brazil thumping". Asahi Shimbun. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  10. "Japan 4-0 Palestine: Defending champions open Asian Cup campaign with impressive win over newcomers in Group D". The Daily Mail. 13 January 2015.
  11. "Japan's midfielder Endo reaches 150 int'l caps". Yahoo. 17 January 2015.

External links