Shinji Kagawa

The native form of this personal name is Kagawa Shinji. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Shinji Kagawa
Kagawa with Japan at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name Shinji Kagawa[1]
Date of birth (1989-03-17) 17 March 1989 (age 35)[2]
Place of birth Kobe, Japan
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Midfielder[4]
Team information
Current team
 Cerezo Osaka
Number 8
Youth career
1994–1999 Marino FC
1999–2001 Kobe NK FC
2001–2005 FC Miyagi Barcelona
2005–2007 Cerezo Osaka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Cerezo Osaka 125 (55)
2010–2012 Borussia Dortmund 49 (21)
2012–2014 Manchester United 38 (6)
2014–2019 Borussia Dortmund 99 (20)
2018 Borussia Dortmund II 1 (0)
2019 → Beşiktaş (loan) 14 (4)
2019–2020 Real Zaragoza 33 (4)
2021 PAOK 6 (0)
2022–2023 Sint-Truiden 18 (2)
2023– Cerezo Osaka 35 (2)
International career‡
2006–2008 Japan U19 4 (0)
2007 Japan U20 2 (0)
2008 Japan U23 3 (0)
2008–2019 Japan 97 (31)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Winner 2011 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 February 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 August 2019 (UTC)

Shinji Kagawa (Japanese: 香川 真司, Kagawa Shinji [kaꜜɡawa ɕiꜜndʑi]; born 17 March 1989) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Cerezo Osaka. He is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players of all time.[5][6]

Kagawa began his professional career in his homeland with Cerezo Osaka before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2010. After two years with Dortmund, Kagawa signed for Manchester United on a four-year contract. Two years later, he returned to Dortmund.[7] Kagawa holds the records for most appearances and goals by a Japanese player in UEFA club competitions.[8] He later also played for Beşiktaş in Turkey, Real Zaragoza in Spain, PAOK in Greece, and Sint-Truiden in Belgium before returning to Japan, as he rejoined his boyhood club, Cerezo Osaka at the end of January 2023.

Since making his senior international debut in May 2008, he has won over 90 caps and scored over 30 goals. On 29 November 2012, Kagawa was named Asian Football Confederation International Player of the Year.[9]

  1. ^ "Shinji Kagawa". Turkish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Shinji Kagawa". Borussia Dortmund. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Shinji Kagawa". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  5. ^ "FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 Japanese footballers of all time". Sportsmole.com. 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Japan's Greatest XI – 2000 – 2020". 90min.com. 28 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference ShinjisReturn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Exportschlager: Japans Fußball-Stars in Europa". UEFA.com (in German). 16 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Shinji Kagawa was named AFC International Player of the Year Award". indiatimes.com. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2012.