Kazuki Kozuka

The native form of this personal name is Kozuka Kazuki. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Kazuki Kozuka
小塚和季
Personal information
Full name Kazuki Kozuka
Date of birth (1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Mitsuke, Niigata, Japan
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Seoul E-Land FC
Number 81
Youth career
2010–2012 Teikyo Nagaoka High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Albirex Niigata 8 (0)
2014 → J.League U-22 1 (0)
2014–2015 → Renofa Yamaguchi (loan) 46 (8)
2017 → Renofa Yamaguchi (loan) 39 (8)
2018 Ventforet Kofu 31 (6)
2019–2021 Oita Trinita 41 (2)
2021–2023 Kawasaki Frontale 22 (0)
2023–2024 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 27 (1)
2024– Seoul E-Land FC 2 (0)
International career‡
2012 Japan U-18 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 01:43, 26 November 2015 (UTC)

Kazuki Kozuka (小塚 和季, Kozuka Kazuki, born 2 August 1994) is a Japanese footballer who plays for Seoul E-Land FC, as an attacking midfielder.

Club career

Kozuka was born in Mitsuke, Niigata. He played junior football for Mitsuke FC and Nagaoka Junior Youth FC in the Hokushin'etsu Youth League while attending Mitsuke Minami Junior High School, before being offered a spot at Teikyo Nagaoka High School on a football scholarship.[2]

Kozuka joined Albirex Niigata as an apprentice professional in 2012.[3] He turned full-time professional with Albirex at the start of the 2013 season and made his first-team debut against Tokushima Vortis in the first round of the Nabisco Cup.[4] His first J. League appearance was in the 2–1 away win over Tokushima Vortis on 26 April 2014.

On 8 July 2014, Kozuka joined Japan Football League side Renofa Yamaguchi on loan until December. He scored his first goal for Rnofa against Sony Sendai on 2 August.[5] He became regular for Renofa, creating a strong attacking partnership with Kazuhito Kishida. Kozuka impressed at Renofa, and his loan deal was eventually extended to the end of the 2015 season. On 6 April 2015, in the 3–0 league victory at Fujieda, Kozuka scored a 60-yard goal from the halfway line.[6]

On 21 June 2024, he was traded with Peter Makrillos and moved to Seoul E-Land FC.[7]

International career

In April 2012, he was selected in Japan under 18 squad for the TIPOS Slovakia Cup against Norway.[8]

Club statistics

As of 7 December 2019.[9][10][11]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J. League Cup Total
2013 Albirex Niigata J1 League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014 2 0 – 1 0 0 0
Renofa Yamaguchi JFL 13 2 – – 13 2
2015 J3 League 33 6 0 0 – 33 6
2016 Albirex Niigata J1 League 6 0 2 0 5 1 13 1
2017 Renofa Yamaguchi J2 League 39 8 0 0 – 39 8
2018 Ventforet Kofu 31 6 0 0 3 2 34 8
2019 Oita Trinita J1 League 33 1 2 0 1 0 36 1
Career total 157 23 4 0 10 3 171 26

Honours

Club

References

  1. ^ "Kazuki Kozuka" (in Japanese). Kawasaki Frontale. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. ^ 小塚 和季選手（帝京長岡高）来季新加入内定のお知らせ (in Japanese). Albirex Niigata. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  3. ^ 帝京長岡高校 小塚 和季選手　JFA・Jリーグ特別指定選手に承認 (in Japanese). Albirex Niigata. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. ^ "2014J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup/B 1st Sec". J. League. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  5. ^ 第16回日本フットボールリーグ - 2014A0031614 (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Football League. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  6. ^ J3第4節…昇格組の山口が開幕3連勝で首位キープ. Gekisaka (in Japanese). Kodansha. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. ^ [오피셜] 서울이랜드FC - 수원삼성, 피터 ↔ 카즈키 1:1 트레이드 (in Korean). Kodansha. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Tipos Slovakia Cup 2012: Nórsko - Japonsko 1:1" (in Slovak). Slovak Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  9. ^ Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", 7 February 2018, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411529 (p. 156 out of 289)
  10. ^ Japan - K. Kozuka - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway
  11. ^ 小塚 和季選手 復帰のお知らせ (in Japanese). Albirex Niigata. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.