Tatsuhiro Sakamoto

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto
Personal information
Date of birth	22 October 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth	Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Coventry City
Number	7
Youth career
	Aoba FC
0000–2011	FC Tokyo
2012–2014	Maebashi Ikuei High School
College career
Years	Team
2015–2018	Toyo University
Senior career*
Years	Team
2019	Montedio Yamagata
2020–2022	Cerezo Osaka
2022	→ KV Oostende (loan)
2022–2023	KV Oostende
2023–	Coventry City
International career‡
2021–	Japan
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:31, 5 January 2025 (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 June 2021

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (坂元達裕, Sakamoto Tatsuhiro, born 22 October 1996) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Coventry City.

Club career

Early career

Starting out playing for Toyo University, Sakamoto was a specially designated player for Montedio Yamagata in the 2018 season.^[1] Despite not making an appearance during this time, Sakamoto fully joined Montedio Yamagata for the 2019 season playing in the J2 League. Sakamoto appeared in every single league game that Montedio Yamagata played in the 2019 season, scoring seven goals in the process. The team also advanced into the second round of the promotion playoffs but were beaten 1–0 by Tokushima Vortis.^[2]

Cerezo Osaka

After a successful debut season in the J2 League, Sakamoto was signed by Cerezo Osaka for the 2020 season. He went on to appear in 33 of their 38 league games and cement himself as part of the team.

KV Oostende

On 5 January 2022, Sakamoto joined Belgian club KV Oostende on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy.^[3] This option was triggered later in 25 May, with Oostende signing him on a contract transfer lasting to 2025. ^[4]

Coventry City

On 10 July 2023, Sakamoto signed for EFL Championship team Coventry City in a three-year deal. The transfer fee was undisclosed.^[5]

On 6 August, he made his debut for Coventry as a late substitute in a 2–1 loss at Leicester City.^[6] He scored his first goal in English football in a 3–0 win at Millwall on 25 November, becoming the first Japanese player to score for Coventry.^[7]

International career

He made his debut for Japan national football team on 7 June 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Tajikistan.^[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played on 25 January 2025^[9]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup^[a]		League cup^[b]		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Montedio Yamagata	2019	J2 League	44	7	0	0	–		–		44	7
Cerezo Osaka	2020	J1 League	33	2	–		3	0	–		36	2
	2021	J1 League	33	6	2	0	5	0	–		40	6
	Total		66	8	2	0	8	0	0	0	76	8
KV Oostende (loan)	2021−22	Belgian First Division A	12	0	0	0	–		–		12	0
KV Oostende	2022–23	Belgian First Division A	30	0	2	0	–		–		32	0
Coventry City	2023–24	Championship	29	7	2	0	1	0	–		32	7
Coventry City	2024–25	Championship	25	3	0	0	2	0	–		27	3
Total			54	10	2	0	3	0	0	0	59	10
Career total			206	25	6	0	11	0	0	0	223	25

^ Includes Emperor's Cup, Belgian Cup, FA Cup
^ Includes J.League Cup, EFL Cup

International

As of match played 24 March 2023^[10]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan	2021	2	0
Total		2	0

References

^ "末吉塁選手・坂元達裕選手「JFA・Jリーグ特別指定選手」認定のお知らせ". モンテディオ山形オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 March 2021.
^ "Tokushima Vortis vs. Montedio Yamagata - 8 December 2019 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
^ "NEW CREATIVE MIDFIELDER FROM JAPAN" (Press release). KV Oostende. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "坂元達裕選手 KVオーステンデに完全移籍のお知らせ" (in Japanese). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
^ "Tatsuhiro Sakamoto joins Coventry City". Coventry City FC. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
^ "Leicester City 2-1 Coventry City - As it happened". The Guardian. 6 August 2023.
^ "Tatsuhiro Sakamoto: Coventry City midfielder's first goal will boost 'positive influence'". BBC Sport. 27 November 2023.
^ "Japan v Tajikistan game report". ESPN. 7 June 2021.
^ "Japan - T. Sakamoto - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
^ "Tastuhiro Sakamoto". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

External links

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)

This biographical article related to a Japanese association football midfielder born in the 1990s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[10] Includes Emperor's Cup, Belgian Cup, FA Cup

[11] Includes J.League Cup, EFL Cup

[1] "末吉塁選手・坂元達裕選手「JFA・Jリーグ特別指定選手」認定のお知らせ". モンテディオ山形オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 March 2021.

[2] "Tokushima Vortis vs. Montedio Yamagata - 8 December 2019 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 February 2021.

[3] "NEW CREATIVE MIDFIELDER FROM JAPAN" (Press release). KV Oostende. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[4] "坂元達裕選手 KVオーステンデに完全移籍のお知らせ" (in Japanese). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.

[5] "Tatsuhiro Sakamoto joins Coventry City". Coventry City FC. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

[6] "Leicester City 2-1 Coventry City - As it happened". The Guardian. 6 August 2023.

[7] "Tatsuhiro Sakamoto: Coventry City midfielder's first goal will boost 'positive influence'". BBC Sport. 27 November 2023.

[8] "Japan v Tajikistan game report". ESPN. 7 June 2021.

[9] "Japan - T. Sakamoto - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

[NFT-12] "Tastuhiro Sakamoto". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

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