Shinji Okazaki


Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is best known for winning the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016. He is currently the manager of FC Basara Mainz.
Internationally, he is Japan's third all-time top goalscorer with 50 goals.

Club career

Shimizu S-Pulse

After graduating Takigawa Daini High School in 2004, Okazaki signed full professional terms with Shimizu S-Pulse the following year. In December 2005, he made his first J.League appearance as a substitute against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. On 15 April 2007, he scored his first professional goal against Kawasaki Frontale. Okazaki ended his first season as a first team player with three goals from 13 matches.
Okazaki scored ten times in 27 matches during the 2008 J. League season and also represented S-Pulse in the J. League Cup Final, where the team lost 2–0 to Oita Trinita. He continued his promising goalscoring in the 2009 and 2010 seasons and, in January 2011, was signed by German side VfB Stuttgart of the Bundesliga.

VfB Stuttgart

On 30 January 2011, Okazaki signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Stuttgart. On 17 February 2011, clearance to play for the club was granted for Okazaki by FIFA. He made his competitive debut for VfB on the same night in a Europa League match against Benfica. On 20 February 2011, Okazaki made his Bundesliga debut for VfB against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Okazaki scored his first goal against Hannover 96, which he scored from outside the box.
Okazaki came on as a second-half substitute for Stuttgart in their first game of the 2011–12 Bundesliga season against Schalke 04. His side were up 2–0 and Okazaki added a goal scoring from long range in the 90th minute, sealing a 3–0 win. Okazaki's goal from a bicycle kick on 19 February 2012 in a Bundesliga match of VfB Stuttgart against Hannover 96 was selected Goal of the Month. After Yasuhiko Okudera in April 1978, Okazaki was the second player from Japan to win this award in Germany.
Okazaki had a poor 2012–13 season, scoring only once in the Bundesliga. However, he scored his first goals in European competition with two goals against Steaua București in the Europa League.

Mainz 05

On 1 July 2013, Okazaki moved to Mainz 05. He scored his first goal for Mainz on his debut in a 3–2 win against his former club Stuttgart on the opening matchday of the 2013–14 Bundesliga season. At the end of the season he ended with 15 league goals.
Okazaki became the most prolific Japanese player in Bundesliga history on 13 September 2014, scoring his 27th and 28th league goals in Mainz's 3–1 win over Hertha Berlin.

Leicester City

2015–16

On 26 June 2015, Okazaki moved to Premier League side Leicester City for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million.
He made his debut for the club on 8 August 2015 in Leicester City's 4–2 opening day win against Sunderland, and scored his first goal for the club the following week in a 2–1 win against West Ham United. On 19 December 2015, Okazaki scored the winner in a 3–2 win over Everton at Goodison Park, to ensure that Leicester City topped the table at Christmas.
On 10 January 2016, Okazaki scored Leicester's second goal in the FA Cup clash at White Hart Lane with Tottenham Hotspur despite drawing to a Harry Kane penalty in the 90th minute. On 14 March 2016, Okazaki scored in a league fixture against Newcastle United: a spectacular overhead strike that won Leicester City the game 1–0 and took them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Leicester City went on to win the league that year, making Okazaki the second Japanese player to win the Premier League after Shinji Kagawa.
His performances in the 2015–16 season earned him the Asian International Player of the Year award in December 2016.

2016–17

Okazaki scored twice in a 2–4 defeat to Chelsea in the third round of the 2016–17 EFL Cup on 20 September 2016. He scored his first league goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Crystal Palace on 22 October 2016, earning him Man of the match and achieving an 84.8% pass success rate, more than any other Leicester player. On 22 November 2016, Okazaki scored in a 2–1 win over Club Brugge in the 2016–17 [UEFA Champions League group stage|Champions League group stage], becoming the sixth Japanese player to score a Champions League goal and the first since Keisuke Honda in November 2013. He finished the season with only three league goals.

2017–2019

Okazaki was in goalscoring form at the start to the 2017–18 season, scoring four goals in six appearances for Leicester in all competitions. He was released by Leicester at the end of the 2018–19 season.

Málaga

On 30 July 2019, Okazaki signed a one-year contract with Málaga CF. However, Málaga canceled its contract with Okazaki after just 34 days, since his wage demands exceeded its maximum budget as permitted by the league.

Huesca

On 4 September 2019, the free agent Okazaki signed a one-year contract with Segunda División side Huesca. On 8 September 2019, he made his debut for Huesca as a substitute.
On 25 July 2020, after scoring 12 times as his side achieved promotion to La Liga, Okazaki renewed his contract for a further year.

Cartagena

On 31 August 2021, Okazaki moved to FC Cartagena in the second division on a one-year contract.

Sint-Truiden

On 19 August 2022, Okazaki signed with Sint-Truiden in Belgium. On 26 February 2024, he announced he would retire from playing at the end of the 2023–24 season.

International career

After competing for the country's under-23 football team|under-23] team at the Football at the [2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|2008 Olympic Games] in China, Okazaki made his full international debut for the Japan senior national team against the United Arab Emirates in October 2008. On 20 January 2009, he scored his first goal for Samurai Blue in the team's opening 2011 AFC Asian Cup 2011 [AFC Asian Cup qualification|qualifier] against Yemen.
In October 2009, Okazaki scored hat-tricks in consecutive matches as Japan beat Hong Kong and Togo 6–0 and 5–0 respectively. He was named The World's Top Goal Scorer of 2009 by the IFFHS for his 15 goals with the national team.
Okazaki was included in the 2010 FIFA World Cup squads for the 2010 [FIFA World Cup] and appeared as a substitute in all four of Japan's matches. He scored once in the final Group E match, a 3–1 defeat of Denmark, to send Japan into the second round.
On 8 October 2010, Okazaki scored as Japan beat Argentina 1–0 in friendly match to record its first ever win over the 1978 and 1986 world champions.
Okazaki scored his third international hat-trick in a 5–0 Group B win against Saudi Arabia at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He then scored his kick in the semi-final shootout win over South Korea and played all 120 minutes of the final as Japan beat Australia to win the trophy for a fourth time.
Okazaki finished as 2014 [FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)#Goalscorers|top goalscorer] in the 2014 FIFA [World Cup qualification (AFC)|Asian section] of qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with eight goals.
Okazaki scored twice at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, against Italy and Mexico respectively. However, Japan lost all three of its matches and was eliminated at the end of the group stage.
In June 2014, Okazaki was selected in the Japan's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the team's third group match, a 4–1 defeat to Colombia, he scored Samurai Blue's only goal with a header in the 45th minute.
Okazaki was included in Japan's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and scored in a 4–0 defeat of Palestine during the group stage.
In March 2016 Okazaki was presented with a commemorative shirt with 100 on the back in a presentation to celebrate his 100th international appearance for Japan.
Okazaki is currently the top active Japan national team goalscorer and third all-time in team history with 50 international goals.

Managerial career

Okazaki co-founded the German football club Basara Mainz in the 2014–15 season when he was a player of Mainz 05. Now he serves as the club adviser. The club is run by the other co-founder, Takashi Yamashita, former player of Mainz's reserve team 1.[FSV Mainz 05 II|Mainz 05 II]. Basara Mainz started in tier 11 of the German football league system. It was promoted to tier 6, Verbandsliga Südwest, in 2019.

Career statistics

International

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
120 January 2009Umakana Yokana Stadium, Kumamoto, Japan1–02–12011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
24 February 2009National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan1–05–1Friendly
34 February 2009National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan2–05–1Friendly
427 May 2009Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan1–04–02009 Kirin Cup
527 May 2009Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan2–04–02009 Kirin Cup
631 May 2009National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan3–04–02009 Kirin Cup
76 June 2009Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan1–01–0qualification – AFC fourth round|2010 FIFA World Cup qualification]
89 September 2009Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands3–34–3Friendly
98 October 2009IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka, Japan1–06–02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
108 October 2009IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka, Japan5–06–02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
118 October 2009IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka, Japan6–06–02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1214 October 2009Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan1–05–0Friendly
1314 October 2009Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan2–05–0Friendly
1414 October 2009Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan4–05–0Friendly
1518 November 2009Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong4–04–02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
163 March 2010Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan2–02–02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1724 June 2010Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa3–13–12010 FIFA World Cup
188 October 2010Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan1–01–0Friendly
1917 January 2011Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar1–05–02011 AFC Asian Cup
2017 January 2011Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar2–05–02011 AFC Asian Cup
2117 January 2011Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar5–05–02011 AFC Asian Cup
226 September 2011Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan1–11–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2311 October 2011Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan2–08–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2411 October 2011Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan8–08–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2511 November 2011Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan2–04–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2611 November 2011Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan4–04–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2723 May 2012Shizuoka Stadium, Shizuoka, Japan2–02–0Friendly
283 June 2012Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan3–03–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2914 November 2012Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman2–12–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
306 February 2013Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium, Kobe, Japan1–03–0Friendly
316 February 2013Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium, Kobe, Japan3–03–0Friendly
3222 March 2013Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar1–02–1Friendly
3311 June 2013Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha Qatar1–01–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3419 June 2013Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil3–33–42013 [FIFA Confederations Cup Group A|2013 FIFA Confederations Cup]
3522 June 2013Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil1–21–22013 FIFA Confederations Cup
3619 November 2013King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium3–13–2Friendly
375 March 2014National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan1–04–2Friendly
385 March 2014National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan4–04–2Friendly
3924 June 2014Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá, Brazil1–11–42014 FIFA World Cup
4018 November 2014Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan2–02–1Friendly
4112 January 2015Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia2–04–02015 AFC Asian Cup
4227 March 2015Ōita Bank Dome, Ōita, Japan1–02–0Friendly
4331 March 2015Ajinomoto Stadium, Chōfu, Japan2–05–1Friendly
4411 June 2015Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan3–04–0Friendly
458 September 2015Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran4–06–02018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
468 September 2015Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran5–06–02018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
478 October 2015Al-Seeb Stadium, Al-Seeb, Oman2–03–02018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4824 March 2016Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan1–05–02018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
493 June 2016Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan1–07–22016 Kirin Cup
5028 March 2017Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan2–04–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

VfB Stuttgart
Leicester City
SD Huesca
Japan
Individual