Junichi Inamoto

Junichi Inamoto

Inamoto playing for Kawasaki Frontale in 2010
Personal information
Full name Junichi Inamoto[1]
Date of birth (1979-09-18) 18 September 1979
Place of birth Yusui, Kagoshima, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Consadole Sapporo
Youth career
1985–1992 Seiei Gakuen SC
1992–1997 Gamba Osaka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2004 Gamba Osaka 105 (14)
2001–2002 Arsenal 0 (0)
2002–2004 Fulham 41 (4)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 28 (0)
2004–2005 → Cardiff City (loan) 14 (0)
2006–2007 Galatasaray 25 (0)
2007–2009 Eintracht Frankfurt 43 (0)
2009–2010 Rennes 5 (0)
2010–2014 Kawasaki Frontale 88 (3)
2015– Consadole Sapporo 31 (0)
National team
1995 Japan U-17 3 (0)
1998–1999 Japan U-20 11 (4)
1998–2000 Japan U-23 15 (5)
2000–2010 Japan 83 (5)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 February 2016.


Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一 Inamoto Jun'ichi, born 18 September 1979) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Consadole Sapporo.

Playing career

Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1997. He was then one of many high-profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal of the Premier League. Inamoto scored two goals for the Japanese national team at the 2002 World Cup, but had already been released by Arsenal shortly before the tournament began.[2] He was then signed by Fulham on a long-term loan deal from Gamba Osaka.[3] Initially he settled well at the London club,[4] garnering good notices as a tough-tackling midfielder with an eye for a spectacular goal. He became a cult favourite quickly, scoring four goals over the two legs of Fulham's Intertoto Cup final against Bologna, scoring once in the first leg[5] and a hat trick in the second.[6] Other notable goals he scored in his time for Fulham include goals against Tottenham Hotspur,[7] Sunderland,[8] Middlesbrough[9] and also in the 3–1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2003.[10] He also scored in the FA Cup against Everton[11] which commentator Barry Davies described as "a Japanese peach". Inamoto was also described as "bigger than Beckham" by the Japanese media.[12] However, he sustained a fractured tibia in an international friendly against England, and returned to Gamba Osaka to do promotional work. Fulham were interested in signing him once more, but concerns remained over his recovery from injury.[13][14]

Inamoto signed with West Bromwich Albion for a decidedly small £200,000 transfer fee, which was only to be paid once he had made an appearance for the Midlands club.[15] However, Gary Megson departed as West Bromwich Albion manager shortly afterwards, and successor Bryan Robson was unsure of the player. Inamoto was loaned to Cardiff City for the latter part of the 2004–05 season,[16] and impressed, being recalled to play a role in West Brom's survival campaign in the Premiership. In 2005–06 he was a regular in the West Brom side, and was called up to the Japan squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the first Albion player to play in the tournament for 20 years. Whilst at West Brom Inamoto scored once, an extra time winner in a League Cup tie against former club Fulham on 25 October 2005.[17]

On 31 August 2006, he signed for Galatasaray.[18] On 29 May 2007, it was revealed that he signed a two-year contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt, joining on a free transfer.[19] Inamoto was presented in a press conference joining fellow Japanese striker Naohiro Takahara in Frankfurt and was released on 30 May 2009. On 19 June 2009, French Ligue 1 side Rennes announced that Inamoto had signed a contract with them.[20] He then signed for Kawasaki Frontale on 11 January 2010. He signed for Consadole Sapporo in 2015.

National team

Career statistics

Updated to 23 February 2016.[21]

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
1997Gamba OsakaJ1 League2733060-363
19982861040-336
199922120--241
20002842041-345
2001132-30-162
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2001–02ArsenalPremier League--202040
2002–03Fulham1922020*104336
2003–042222110-253
2004–05West Bromwich Albion30---30
2004–05Cardiff CityChampionship14020--160
2005–06West Bromwich AlbionPremier League2202021-261
2006–07Championship30---30
Turkey League Türkiye Kupası League Cup Europe Total
2006–07Galatasaray S.K.Süper Lig25030-51331
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
2007–08Eintracht FrankfurtBundesliga24020--260
2008–0919010--200
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
2009–10Stade RennaisLigue 150---50
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
2010Kawasaki FrontaleJ1 League280204050390
20111221010-142
20122001030-240
201325010010-360
20143100003061
2015Consadole SapporoJ2 League31010--320
Total Japan 237192302618031820
England 834817112411010
Turkey 25030-51331
Germany 43030--460
France 50---50
Career total 3932337133225548831

* Includes Intertoto Cup

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 4 July 2001 Ōita, Japan  Yugoslavia 1–0 Won Friendly Match
2. 4 June 2002 Saitama, Japan  Belgium 2–2 Drew 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
3. 9 June 2002 Yokohama, Japan  Russia 1–0 Won 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
4. 28 March 2003 Tokyo, Japan  Uruguay 2–2 Drew Friendly Match
5. 9 September 2009 Utrecht, Netherlands  Ghana 4–3 Won Friendly Match

National team statistics

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
2000140
2001111
2002112
2003101
200460
2005100
200640
200730
200820
200941
201080
Total825

Honours

Fulham
Japan
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 16. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Arsenal release Inamoto". BBC Sport. 10 June 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  3. ↑ "Inamoto joins". Fulham Official Website. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Inamoto gears up". Fulham Official Website. 23 July 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  5. ↑ "Fulham force draw". BBC Sport. 13 August 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Fulham clinch Euro glory". BBC Sport. 27 August 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  7. ↑ "Fulham stun Spurs". BBC Sport. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Inamoto sees off Sunderland". BBC Sport. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "Fulham hold on for win". BBC Sport. 16 August 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  10. ↑ "Fulham stun Man Utd". BBC Sport. 25 October 2003. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  11. ↑ "Fulham 2–1 Everton (aet)". BBC Sport. 4 February 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  12. ↑ "Bigger than Beckham". Fulham Official Website. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "Inamoto to leave Fulham". BBC Sport. 29 July 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  14. ↑ "Inamoto signs extension". Fulham Official Website. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Inamoto signs for West Brom". BBC Sport. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  16. ↑ "Cardiff snap up Inamoto on loan". BBC Sport. 23 December 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  17. ↑ "Fulham 2–3 West Brom (aet)". BBC. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  18. ↑ "Inamoto leaves Baggies for Turkey". BBC Sport. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  19. ↑ "Inamoto kommt" (in German). kicker. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
  20. ↑ "Junichi Inamoto rejoint le Stade Rennais F.C." (in French). staderennais.com. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  21. ↑ Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑", 10 February 2016, Japan, ISBN 978-4-905411-33-8 (p. 195 out of 289)

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