Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一,Inamoto Jun'ichi; born 18 September 1979) is a Japanese former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder.[4] He is a retired international for theJapan national team.
Inamoto was born in the town ofKurino (nowYūsui) inKagoshima Prefecture and raised inSakai,Osaka Prefecture, where his family moved two months after his birth.[3] He played for Japanese clubGamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1997. In April of that year, at the age of 17, he made his debut in the1997 J.League season,[4] making him the youngest player in the J.League (at that time).[5] He played for Gamba until summer 2001 and played 118 matches in the J1 League.[4]
Inamoto was then one of many high-profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing withArsenal of theEnglish Premier League. Inamoto scored two goals for theJapan national team at the2002 FIFA World Cup, but had already been released by Arsenal shortly before the tournament began.[6]
Inamoto was then signed byFulham on a long-term loan deal fromGamba Osaka.[7] Initially he settled well at the London club,[8] garnering good notices as a tough-tackling midfielder with an eye for a spectacular goal. He became a fan favourite quickly, scoring four goals over the two legs of Fulham's2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup final win againstBologna, scoring once in the first leg[9] and a hat trick in the second.[10] Other notable goals he scored in his time for Fulham include goals againstTottenham Hotspur,[11]Sunderland,[12]Middlesbrough[13] and also in the 3–1 win againstManchester United atOld Trafford in October 2003.[14]He also scored in theFA Cup againstEverton[15] which commentatorBarry Davies described as "a Japanese peach".[citation needed] Inamoto was also described as "bigger thanBeckham" by the Japanese media.[16] However, he sustained a fracturedtibia in an international friendly againstEngland, and returned toGamba Osaka to do promotional work. Fulham were interested in signing him once more, but concerns remained over his recovery from injury.[17][18]
Inamoto signed withWest 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.[19] However,Gary Megson departed as West Bromwich Albion manager shortly afterwards, and successorBryan Robson was unsure of the player.
Inamoto was loaned toCardiff City for the latter part of the2004–05 season,[20] and impressed, being recalled to play a role in West Brom's survival campaign in the Premiership. In2005–06 he was a regular in the West Brom side, and was called up to the Japan squad for the2006 FIFA World Cup, the first Albion player to play in the tournament for 20 years.[citation needed] While at West Brom Inamoto scored once, an extra time winner in a League Cup tie against former club Fulham on 25 October 2005.[21]
On 29 May 2007, it was revealed that he signed a two-year contract with German clubEintracht Frankfurt, joining on a free transfer.[23] Inamoto was presented in a press conference joining fellow Japanese strikerNaohiro Takahara in Frankfurt and was released on 30 May 2009.
Inamoto signed for J1 League clubKawasaki Frontale on 11 January 2010 in a move back to his homeland after nine years away in Europe. He played for Frontale for 5 seasons. He left at the end of the 2014 season.[25]
In 2015, Inamoto then subsequently featured forHokkaido Consadole Sapporo (laterHokkaido Consadole Sapporo) in theJ2 League. Consadole won the2016 season and was promoted to J1.[26] However he could only play single-digit matches every season from the 2016 season onward.[4] He resigned at the end of the 2018 season.[27]
On 23 January 2019, Inamoto signed withJ3 League clubSC Sagamihara.[28] On 15 June 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a league match againstGamba Osaka U23.
On 18 January 2022, Inamoto signed for fifth tierKantō Soccer League club,Nankatsu SC. On 30 July 2023, he scored his first goal for the club at the age of 43 in a league match againstToin University of Yokohama scoring a header.
On 5 February 2000, Inamoto debuted for the seniorJapan national team under managerPhilippe Troussier againstMexico.[31] After his debut, Inamoto played ten matches or more every year under Troussier.[31]
In 2000, Inamoto played at the2000 AFC Asian Cup. He played four matches[31] as Japan won the championship. In 2001, he also played at the2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played four matches[31] as Japan finished second. In 2002, he was selected by Japan for the2002 FIFA World Cup. He played all four matches and scored two goals againstBelgium in the first match andRussia in the second match. Japan qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
After the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Inamoto played at the2003 and the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.[31] In 2006, he was selected by Japan for the2006 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches as Japan was eliminated at the group stage.
After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, due to generational change, Inamoto was not selected for Japan again until June 2007.[31] After that, he played several matches every year. In 2010, he was selected for the2010 FIFA World Cup. He played two matches[31] as Japan qualified for the knockout stage. This World Cup would mark Inamoto’s last game for Japan. In total, he played 82 games and scored 5 goals for the national side.[31]
