Gaku Nawata

名和田 我空
Gaku Nawata
Personal information
Full name Gaku Nawata
Date of birth (2006-07-29) 29 July 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Kagoshima, Japan
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Kamimura Gakuen High School
Number 14
Youth career
–2018 Konokawauchi SC[1]
2018–2021 Kamimura Gakuen Junior High School
2022– Kamimura Gakuen High School
International career‡
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Japan U17 9 (6)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:41, 21 November 2023 (UTC)

Gaku Nawata (Japanese: 名和田我空; born 29 July 2006) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a striker.

Club career

Nawata began his career as a football player at Konokawauchi SC when he was an elementary school student. He achieved second place in the U-12 tournament in Miyazaki when he was in sixth grade.[2]

In 2018, he enrolled in Kamimura Gakuen, which is known for its excellence in football. He won the national junior high school tournament and was the top scorer.[3] And then, he skipped a grade to join the high school team, and he is still a key player there.[4][5][6][7]

International career

In 2022, he was first called up to the Japan U-16. At 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, he scored the most of all the players and led his national team to victory. He also won the MVP award for the tournament.[8] On 11 October, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[9]

In the same year, he has continued to represent Japan at 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In the first game at the knockout round, he scored the equalizer against Spain, but Japan conceded a goal later and ended up in defeat.[10]

Honours

International

Individual

References

  1. ^ "2018年度　ナショナルトレセンU-12　九州参加メンバー" [For Fiscal Year 2018 National Training System for U-12selected players The list of members from Kyushu] (PDF). kyushu-fa.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. ^ "JFA 第42回全日本U-12サッカー選手権大会　宮崎大会". jfa.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  3. ^ "名和田我空 （神村学園）" [Gaku Nawata(Kamimura Gakuen)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. ^ "神村学園の新一年生FW名和田我空「世界で活躍できる選手になりたい」". koko-soccer.com.
  5. ^ "神村学園のニューヒーロー名和田我空、３年後のＷ杯出場に意欲「Ａ代表は本当に目標」". nikkansports.com.
  6. ^ "元日本代表・大黒から"感覚で打つ極意"を学ぶ神村学園の２年生エース、名和田我空がＵ-17Ｗ杯へ焦がす特別な想い (1)". soccerdigestweb.com.
  7. ^ "元日本代表・大黒から"感覚で打つ極意"を学ぶ神村学園の２年生エース、名和田我空がＵ-17Ｗ杯へ焦がす特別な想い (2)". soccerdigestweb.com.
  8. ^ "Moriyama credits Nawata's heroics for Japan's Under-17 Asian Cup win". nst.com.my.
  9. ^ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (11 October 2023). "Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Spain U-17 2-1 Japan U-17: results, summary and goals". as. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Timnas Jepang Juara Piala Asia U-17 2023" (in Indonesian). inews. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Gaku Nawata scoops the #AFCU17 Cremo Top Goalscorer award!". afcasiancup. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Jepang U-17 Jadi Juara Piala Asia U-17 Usai Kalahkan Korea Selatan U-17" (in Indonesian). tvone. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.