Asano, Takuma

Club career

He started playing football in his hometown at Perna SK Club and Happu High School. Since 2010, he played for the Yokkaichi Central Technical High School from Mie Prefecture.

In 2013, at the age of 18, he joined the Sanfretsche Hiroshima professional club, who played in the J-League . He played his first match at the highest level on September 14, 2013 against Kawasaki Frontale , replacing Kazuhiko Chiba in the 82nd minute ^[1] . In his first season, Asano played only one match in the Japanese championship, and his club won the league title, also played four matches in the Emperor’s Cup , in which Sanfreche Hiroshima became a finalist (including taking part in the final match against Yokohama F. Marinos ” ^[2] ). In February 2014, he won the Super Bowl of Japan , replaced 59 minutes into the game with Yokohama F. Marinos, and six minutes later he scored the second goal of his team, Sanfreche Hiroshima won 2-0 ^[3] .

In 2015, the forward became a player in the club’s core team, played 34 matches in a season, scored 9 goals and helped the team win another championship title. Also this season, Asano was recognized as the best rookie of the year in the J-League ^[4] .

July 3, 2016 he moved to the London “ Arsenal ”, became the second newcomer of the “Gunners” in the offseason after Granite Dzhaki ^[5] . In August of that year, Takuma, not playing a single match for Arsenal, moved to the German Stuttgart on a one-year lease. In June 2017, Stuttgart extended Asano's lease for another season ^[6] .

On May 23, 2018, Arsenal gave Asano a one-year lease for the next season at Hanover ^[7] .

Team Career

As part of the Japanese national team among players under 23 years old, he took part in the 2016 Toulon tournament , where he played three matches and scored one goal. He also participated in the Asian Youth Championship in 2016, in which the Japanese became champions, played five matches and scored two goals - took a double in the final match against South Korea and helped the Japanese team win a strong-willed victory 3: 2 ^[8] .

For the first time in May 2015, he was called up to the national team of Japan for training camp by coach Wahid Halilhodzhich . He made his debut in the national team on August 2, 2015 in the East Asian Championship match against North Korea , replaced in the 84th minute instead of Kensuke Nagai ^[9] . June 3, 2016 in the game “Kirin Cup” against Bulgaria (7: 2) scored his first goal for the national team, scored from the penalty spot in the 87th minute ^[10] .

• Champion of Japan : 2013, 2015
• Japanese Super Cup Winner: 2014, 2016
• Japan Cup Finalist: 2013
• J-League Cup Finalist: 2014
• Asian Youth Championship Winner: 2016

• Player profile on Transfermarkt
• Soccerway Profile
• National Football Teams profile