Ko Itakura


Kō Itakura is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as centre-back or defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Japan national team.

Club career

In January 2019, Itakura joined Premier League club Manchester City and was immediately loaned to Eredivisie club Groningen, until the summer of 2020. On 24 July 2020, his stay with Groningen was extended with one more year after both clubs agreed.
On 19 August 2021, Itakura signed a season-long loan deal with 2. Bundesliga club Schalke 04 with an option to make the move permanent for £5 million. At the end of the season, he was promoted to the Bundesliga with Schalke, but the club did not activate the option due to financial reasons. Instead, he signed a four-year deal with fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach.
On August 19 2023, he scored his first goal in the Bundesliga against Augsburg, and on September 2, he scored a goal against Bayern Munich, which had the most wins and were the champions of the previous year. On September 8th, he was selected as the team's MVP for August.
On August 7, 2025, it was announced that Itakura will return to the Eredivisie and signed a contract with Ajax, thus becoming the first Japanese player to represent the club.

International career

Itakura was selected for the senior Japan national football team for 2019 Copa América and made his debut on 20 June 2019 in the game against Uruguay, as a starter.
On March 29, 2021, he scored two goals against the Argentina national under-24 football team, and was also selected to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 4th place.
In November 2022, he was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Japan National team for the first time. Participated in all group stage matches and became the first Asian team to win first place in an overseas World Cup group league, contributing to advance to the final tournament for two consecutive tournaments. His long ball was the starting point of the come-from-behind goal against Germany. He was also named in the first group stage best eleven by Spanish Marca and Italian Sky Sport. The former named him one of the players to double his value in the World Cup and described him as "the most consistent performance of the entire tournament".
On March 28, 2023, he served as captain for the first time in the second match of the second term of Moriyasu Japan against Colombia.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
128 May 2021Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan10–010–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
219 November 2024Xiamen Egret Stadium, Xiamen, China2–03–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Kawasaki Frontale
Vegalta Sendai
  • Emperor's Cup: runner-up 2018
Schalke 04
Individual
  • Tag Heuer Young Guns Award: 2018
  • Groningen Player of the Year: 2020–21
  • Borussia's Player of the Month: August 2023
  • : 2022, 2023, 2024
  • IFFHS Asian Men's Team of the Year: 2024