Biography
Who is Masaaki Higashiguchi?
Early life and education
Masaaki Higashiguchi grew up in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan. He started playing football during his youth and spent time in the youth system of Gamba Osaka before attending university.
He continued his education at the Fukui University of Technology and later moved to the Niigata University of Management. While studying there, he represented the institution in the 2008 Emperor's Cup.
Club career with Albirex Niigata and Gamba Osaka
After finishing university, Masaaki Higashiguchi signed his first professional contract with the J1 League team Albirex Niigata. He spent five seasons with the club located near the Japan Sea coast, making a total of 84 league appearances before moving back to Osaka in 2014.
Gamba Osaka acquired him to serve as their primary goalkeeper for the 2014 campaign following their promotion back to the top tier. In his first season, the team secured the J1 League title, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. The following year, the squad won the Japanese Super Cup and another Emperor's Cup, while also advancing to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League.
International career with Japan
Masaaki Higashiguchi received his first call-up to the Japan men's national football team in July 2015 from coach Vahid Halilhodzic. He made his debut during the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup in a match against China that ended in a draw.
He earned further caps in World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies, including a clean sheet against Afghanistan in March 2016. He was also selected for the squad that traveled to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was part of the team for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Birthday and age
Masaaki Higashiguchi was born on May 12, 1986, which makes Masaaki 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Masaaki shares the date with 64 other famous people.
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