Yoshinori Muto

Yoshinori Muto

Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-07-15) 15 July 1992
Place of birth	Tokyo, Japan
Height
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	1. FSV Mainz 05
Number	9
Youth career
2008–2010	FC Tokyo
2010–2013	Keio University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2015	FC Tokyo	50	(23)
2015–	1. FSV Mainz 05	20	(7)
International career
2014–	Japan	17	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 November 2015

Yoshinori Muto (武藤 嘉紀, Mutō Yoshinori, born 15 July 1992) is a Japanese football forward who plays for 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga.

Club career

FC Tokyo

As a child, Muto joined FC Tokyo's youth system, where he kept developing until 2010. He then enrolled in the Faculty of Economics of Keio University but kept playing football, for Keio's team. Despite an injury which sidelined him, in his first season with Keio he won the "Rookie of the Year" title.

In 2012 and 2013, FC Tokyo included him in their roster as a "Special Designated Player", an option that allows JLeague clubs to field university players without a professional contract. However, he got on the pitch just once, at the end of a match in July 2013.

In 2014, signed his first professional contract with FC Tokyo and was given shirt number 14. Coach Massimo Ficcadenti decided to use him from the first league round and, at the end of the season, Muto reached 33 appearances netting 13 goals, matching the top debut record in the Japanese first division. At the end of the season, he was part of the JLeague's Best XI.

Muto graduated from Keio University in March 2015, and the following month was subject to a bid by Chelsea. In April, he was elected as March's MVP (Player of the Month) in the JLeague.

Mainz 05

On 30 May 2015, Muto joined German Bundesliga club 1. FSV Mainz 05 on a four-year contract until 2019. On 31 October 2015, he scored hat-trick for the first time in his career and also became the second Japanese player after Naohiro Takahara to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga, in his team's 3–3 draw against FC Augsburg.

International career

Muto made his debut for Japan on 5 September 2014 in a 0–2 friendly defeat to Uruguay at the Sapporo Dome, replacing Yusuke Minagawa after 58 minutes. Four days later at Yokohama's Nissan Stadium he scored his first international goal, coming on as a halftime substitute against Venezuela and scoring the first goal of a 2–2 draw six minutes later.

As a substitute, Muto played all of Japan's matches at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia, ending with defeat to the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-finals.

Career statistics

Club

As of 1 Nov 2015

Club	Season	League	League		Cup		League Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
F.C. Tokyo	2013	J. League Division 1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2014		33	13	1	0	5	1	39	14
	2015	J1 League	15	10	0	0	4	2	19	12
	Total		49	23	1	0	9	3	59	26
1. FSV Mainz 05	2015–16	Bundesliga	20	7	1	0	0	0	21	7
	Total		20	7	1	0	0	0	21	7
Career total			69	30	2	0	9	3	80	33

External links

• Yoshinori Muto at Soccerway