Kōji Miyoshi

Koji Miyoshi
Personal information
Full name Koji Miyoshi[1]
Date of birth (1997-03-26) 26 March 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Japan
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 VfL Bochum
Number 23
Youth career
2007–2014 Kawasaki Frontale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2020 Kawasaki Frontale 31 (5)
2015 → J. League U22 (loan) 8 (1)
2018 → Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (loan) 27 (3)
2019 → Yokohama F. Marinos (loan) 19 (3)
2019–2020 → Royal Antwerp (loan) 14 (1)
2020–2023 Royal Antwerp 58 (5)
2023–2024 Birmingham City 46 (6)
2024– VfL Bochum 9 (1)
International career‡
2013 Japan U17 3 (0)
2013–2015 Japan U18 9 (2)
2016 Japan U19 9 (3)
2017 Japan U20 5 (0)
2018 Japan U21 7 (3)
2018–2021 Japan U23 13 (2)
2019– Japan 5 (2)
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Team
AFC U-19 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 Bahrain
AFC U-16 Championship
Silver medal – second place 2012 Iran
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:21, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:17, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

Koji Miyoshi (三好 康児, Miyoshi Kōji, born 26 March 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Bundesliga club VfL Bochum and the Japan national team. He previously played domestically for Kawasaki Frontale, from where he spent time on loan with the J.League U-22 Selection, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos. He joined Belgian club Royal Antwerp, initially on loan, in 2019, and four years later joined English club Birmingham City, where he spent just over one season before signing for Bochum.

Club career

Early career

Miyoshi was born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa.

On 20 August 2019, he joined Belgian First Division A side Royal Antwerp on loan for a year from Kawasaki Frontale with an option to make the deal permanent.[2] In 2023, Miyoshi was part of the Antwerp squad that won the club their first league title in 66 years.[3][4]

Birmingham City

Miyoshi joined English Championship club Birmingham City in June 2023 after his contract with Royal Antwerp expired.[5] He made his debut for the club, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–1 draw with Swansea City on 5 August.[6] Miyoshi scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win over Bristol City on 29 August.[7] In a chaotic season for Birmingham with multiple managerial changes, at the end of which the team were relegated to the third tier, Miyoshi appeared in all but three matches, scoring six goals and making six assists in league competition.[8][9]

VfL Bochum

Miyoshi signed a four-year contract with Bundesliga club VfL Bochum on 30 August 2024; the fee was undisclosed.[10][11]

International career

In October 2013, Miyoshi was picked for the Japan U-17 national team for the 2013 U-17 World Cup. He played three matches and Japan quarter final run only to lose to Sweden 2–1.[12][13][14] In May 2017, he was in the squad of the Japan U-20 national team for the 2017 U-20 World Cup. At this tournament, he played three matches.

On 24 May 2019, Miyoshi was called up by Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu to feature in the Copa América played in Brazil.[15] He made his debut on 17 June 2019 in the game against Chile, as a 66th-minute substitute for Daizen Maeda.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 November 2024[17][18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kawasaki Frontale 2015 J1 League 3 0 0 0 2 0 — — 5 0
2016 15 4 5 0 6 0 — 1[c] 0 27 4
2017 13 1 1 0 2 2 4[d] 0 0 0 20 3
Total 31 5 6 0 8 2 4 0 1 0 52 7
Consadole Sapporo (loan) 2018 J1 League 26 3 2 1 0 0 — — 28 4
Yokohama F. Marinos (loan) 2019 J1 League 19 3 4 0 0 0 — — 23 3
Royal Antwerp 2019–20[19] Belgian Pro League 14 1 1 2 — — — 15 3
2020–21[19] 23 3 1 0 — 8[e] 0 — 32 3
2021–22[19] 25 1 0 0 — 5[e] 2 — 30 3
2022–23[19] 10 1 0 0 — 5[f] 0 — 15 1
Total 72 6 2 2 — 18 2 — 92 10
Birmingham City 2023–24[20] Championship 43 6 3 1 2 0 — — 48 7
2024–25[21] League One 3 0 0 0 1 0 — 0 0 4 0
Total 46 6 3 1 3 0 — 0 0 52 7
VfL Bochum 2024–25[19] Bundesliga 9 1 0 0 — — — 9 1
Career total 203 24 17 4 13 2 22 2 1 0 256 32
  1. ^ Includes Emperor's Cup, Belgian Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes J.League Cup, EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup
  4. ^ Appearances in AFC Champions League
  5. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[22]
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2019 3 2
2020 2 0
Total 5 2
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Miyoshi goal.[22]
List of international goals scored by Koji Miyoshi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 20 June 2019 Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre, Brazil  Uruguay 1–0 2–2 2019 Copa América
2 2–1

Honours

Kawasaki Frontale

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

Royal Antwerp

Japan U-19

References

  1. ^ "EFL – Squad List 2022/23: Birmingham City – In Squad Players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 2. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  2. ^ "NIEUWE AANWINST RAFC AAN HET WOORD" (in Dutch). Royal Antwerp F.C. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ Gleeson, Mark (4 June 2023). "Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years". Reuters. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  4. ^ Collins, Ben (4 June 2023). "Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Koji Miyoshi joins Blues!". Birmingham City F.C. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. ^ Vincent, Gareth (5 August 2023). "Swansea City 1–1 Birmingham City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Bristol City 0–2 Birmingham City". BBC Sport. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  8. ^ Worthington, Brett (2 June 2024). "Juninho Bacuna off: The 4 Birmingham City players set to leave next summer if nothing changes". Football League World. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Koji Miyoshi: Birmingham City: EFL Championship". ESPN. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Blues and Bochum reach Miyoshi agreement". Birmingham City F.C. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  11. ^ "VfL nimmt Koji Miyoshi unter Vertrag" [VfL sign Koji Miyoshi] (in German). VfL Bochum. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ^ FIFA
  13. ^ "三好 康児：川崎フロンターレ：Ｊリーグ.jp". jleague.jp. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Koji Miyoshi". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  15. ^ "SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Squad, Schedule - CONMEBOL Copa America Brazil 2019 (6/14–7/7)". JFA. 24 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Japan v Chile game report". CONMEBOL. 17 June 2019.
  17. ^ 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. 93 out of 289)
  18. ^ Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑", 10 February 2016, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411338 (p. 54 out of 289)
  19. ^ a b c d e "K. Miyoshi". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Games played by Kōji Miyoshi in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Games played by Kōji Miyoshi in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Kōji Miyoshi". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Club Brugge v Antwerp". goal.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Geen schoonheidsprijs, wel een vierde beker: Antwerp maakt favorietenrol waar tegen KV Mechelen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 30 April 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Koji Miyoshi.