Biography
Who is Yoshinori Muto?
Early life and education
Yoshinori Muto was born in Setagaya, Japan. During his childhood years, he entered the youth system of the club FC Tokyo. He remained with this development program until 2010.
While playing football, he also pursued higher education. He enrolled at Keio University to study in the Faculty of Economics. Despite missing time due to an injury, he earned the Rookie of the Year title during his first season with the university team. He graduated from Keio University in March 2015.
Starting a professional football career
In 2012 and 2013, FC Tokyo registered him as a Special Designated Player. This status permitted him to play for the club without signing a full professional contract. He made his first appearance on the pitch during a match in July 2013.
He signed his first official professional contract with FC Tokyo in 2014. That season, he wore jersey number 14. He made 33 appearances and scored 13 goals, which tied the record for the top debut in the Japanese first division. Consequently, he earned a spot in the J-League Best XI for that year. In April 2015, he was named the Player of the Month in the J-League.
International and European career
In May 2015, the athlete joined the German Bundesliga team Mainz 05 on a contract running until 2019. He played 72 matches for the club and scored 23 goals. In October 2015, he scored a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against FC Augsburg. This feat made him the second Japanese player to score three goals in a single Bundesliga game.
After his time in Germany, he moved to the English Premier League to join Newcastle United in August 2018. He signed a four-year contract after the club paid a £9.5 million fee. He scored his first goal for the team during a game against Manchester United. Later, in September 2020, he spent a season on loan with the Spanish club Eibar.
Time with Vissel Kobe and national team
Yoshinori Muto made his debut for the Japan men's national football team on September 5, 2014, in a friendly game against Uruguay. Four days later, he scored his first international goal during a match against Venezuela. He also played for Japan during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and was part of the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In August 2021, Vissel Kobe announced that they had signed the forward. Since joining the team, he has achieved further success in domestic competitions. He helped the club win the J1 League title in both 2023 and 2024. Also, he was awarded the J.League Player of the Year in 2024 and named to the J.League Best XI for two consecutive years.
Birthday and age
Yoshinori Muto was born on July 15, 1992, which makes Yoshinori 34 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Yoshinori shares the date with 44 other famous people.
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