Junichi Inamoto
| Date of birth | 18 September 1979 |
| Place of birth | Kagashima |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Height | 1.81 m |
| Position | Midfielder |
After a disappointing season on loan at Arsenal from Gamba Osaka in 2001-02, Junichi Inamoto was a revelation in Japan's 2002 World Cup team.
A hard-working, solid midfield player, Junichi began his career at Seie Gakuen SC before moving to the J-League with Gamba Osaka making his debut in April 1997.
He played in the 2000 Olympic Games prior to joining Arsenal in the summer of 2001.
However, he has could not settle in to his new club and the Gunners released from his contract prior to the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan.
Junichi had been a regular squad member for Japan since the Olympics and formed an excellent defensive midfield partnership with Kazuyuki Toda allowing the more flamboyant members of the team to shine.
Having already scored against Belgium, Junichi had another superb effort disallowed as he came close to giving Japan a dramatic late winner in their 2-2 drawn opener.
He then became a national hero with the only goal of the game against Russia as Japan recorded their first-ever win in the World Cup finals.
He returned to Japan after the finals rejoining Gamba Osaka, but his performances in the finals persuaded Fulham to sign him on a year long loan deal for the 2002-03 season.
This deal was later extended to also cover the 2003-04 campaign.
Junichi joined West Bromwich Albion in August 2004 with a contract to January 2007.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamba Osaka | 01 Mar 1996 | 31 Aug 2004 | |
| Arsenal | 23 Jul 2001 | 30 Jun 2002 | L |
| Fulham | 15 Jul 2002 | 31 May 2004 | L |
| West Bromwich Albion | 31 Aug 2004 | 31 Aug 2006 | |
| Cardiff City | 23 Dec 2004 | 23 Mar 2005 | L |
| Galatasaray | 31 Aug 2006 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 2 |
||||
| 2002-03 | Fulham | FA Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Fulham | League Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2002-03 | Fulham | Premier League | 9 | 10 |
2 |
||
| 2002-03 | Fulham | UEFA Cup | 2 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 2002-03 | Fulham | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1 | 3 |
4 |
||
| 2003-04 | Fulham | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Fulham | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Fulham | Premier League | 15 | 7 |
2 |
8
|
|
| 2004-05 | Cardiff City | FA Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Cardiff City | League Championship | 13 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2004-05 | West Bromwich Albion | Premier League | 3 |
||||
| 2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2005-06 | West Bromwich Albion | Premier League | 16 | 6 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Galatasaray | UEFA Champions League | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2006-07 | West Bromwich Albion | League Championship | 3 |
||||
| 2007-08 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Bundesliga | 17 | 2 |
4
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2001 | Arsenal v Schalke 04 | W | 3-2 | UEFA Champions League | Group C |
| 27 Nov 2001 | Arsenal v Grimsby Town | W | 2-0 | League Cup | 4th round |
| 11 Dec 2001 | Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal | L | 4-0 | League Cup | Quarter-final |
| 27 Feb 2002 | Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen | W | 4-1 | UEFA Champions League | Phase 2 group D |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | Japan | Asian Games | 5 | 2 |
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| 1998-99 | Japan | World Youth Cup | 3 |
||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | AFC Asian Cup | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Annual Match | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Chinese New Year Tournament | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Hassan II Tournament | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Japan | Olympics | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Japan | International Friendly | 4 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Japan | Olympics | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Japan | OT | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Japan | International Friendly | 5 |
2
|
|||
| 2001-02 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2002-03 | Japan | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2003-04 | Japan | International Friendly | 5 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Japan | Summer Tournament | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Japan | FIFA Confederations Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2004-05 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2004-05 | Japan | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 2 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2005-06 | Japan | International Friendly | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Japan | Kirin Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Japan | Four Nation Tournament | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Japan | AFC Asian Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2009-10 | Japan | EAFF East Asian Cup | 2 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2009-10 | Japan | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
||||
| 2009-10 | Japan | International Friendly | 4 | 2 |
1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Dec 1998 | Japan v Nepal | W | 5-0 | Asian Games | Group C |
| 03 Dec 1998 | Japan v India | W | 1-0 | Asian Games | Group C |
| 07 Dec 1998 | Korea Republic v Japan | L | 2-0 | Asian Games | Group 2 2nd round |
| 09 Dec 1998 | Japan v Kuwait | W | 2-1 | Asian Games | Group 2 2nd round |
| 11 Dec 1998 | United Arab Emirates v Japan | L | 1-0 | Asian Games | Group 2 2nd round |
| 15 Apr 1999 | Japan v Portugal | W | 1-1 (5-4) | World Youth Cup | 2nd round |
| 21 Apr 1999 | Japan v Uruguay | W | 2-1 | World Youth Cup | Semi-final |
| 24 Apr 1999 | Spain v Japan | L | 4-0 | World Youth Cup | Final |
| 09 Oct 1999 | Kazakhstan v Japan | W | 0-2 | Olympics | Asia group C |
| 05 Feb 2000 | Mexico v Japan | L | 1-0 | CHINESE NEW YEAR TOURNAMENT | |
| 08 Feb 2000 | Hong Kong v Japan | D | 0-0 | CHINESE NEW YEAR TOURNAMENT | |
| 15 Mar 2000 | Japan v China PR | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Korea Republic v Japan | L | 1-0 | ANNUAL MATCH | |
| 04 Jun 2000 | France v Japan | D | 2-2 | Hassan II Tournament | |
| 11 Jun 2000 | Japan v Slovakia | D | 1-1 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 18 Jun 2000 | Japan v Bolivia | W | 2-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 19 Jun 2000 | Japan v Bolivia | W | 2-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Japan v United Arab Emirates | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Japan v Kuwait | W | 6-0 | OT | |
| 14 Sep 2000 | South Africa v Japan | W | 1-2 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 17 Sep 2000 | Slovakia v Japan | W | 1-2 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Brazil v Japan | L | 1-0 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 23 Sep 2000 | USA v Japan | L | 2-2 (4-5) | Olympics | Quarter-final |
| 04 Oct 2000 | Japan v J LEAGUE FOREIGNERS | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Japan v Saudi Arabia | W | 4-1 | AFC Asian Cup | Group C |
| 17 Oct 2000 | Japan v Uzbekistan | W | 8-1 | AFC Asian Cup | Group C |
| 24 Oct 2000 | Japan v Iraq | W | 4-1 | AFC Asian Cup | Quarter-final |
| 26 Oct 2000 | China PR v Japan | W | 2-3 | AFC Asian Cup | Semi-final |
| 24 Mar 2001 | France v Japan | L | 5-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Spain v Japan | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 31 May 2001 | Japan v Canada | W | 3-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Japan v Cameroon | W | 2-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 07 Jun 2001 | Japan v Australia | W | 1-0 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Semi-final |
| 10 Jun 2001 | Japan v France | L | 0-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Final |
| 01 Jul 2001 | Japan v Paraguay | W | 2-0 | Kirin Cup | |
| 04 Jul 2001 | Japan v Yugoslavia | W | 1-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 04 Oct 2001 | Senegal v Japan | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Nov 2001 | Japan v Italy | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Poland v Japan | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Apr 2002 | Japan v Slovakia | D | 3-3 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 02 May 2002 | Japan v Honduras | D | 3-3 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 14 May 2002 | Norway v Japan | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 May 2002 | Japan v Sweden | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2002 | Japan v Belgium | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 09 Jun 2002 | Japan v Russia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 14 Jun 2002 | Tunisia v Japan | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 18 Jun 2002 | Japan v Turkey | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Japan v Jamaica | D | 1-1 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 28 Mar 2003 | Japan v Uruguay | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 31 May 2003 | Japan v Korea Republic | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2003 | Japan v Argentina | L | 1-4 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 18 Jun 2003 | New Zealand v Japan | W | 0-3 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group A |
| 20 Jun 2003 | France v Japan | L | 2-1 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group A |
| 20 Aug 2003 | Japan v Nigeria | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Japan v Senegal | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Oct 2003 | Tunisia v Japan | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Oct 2003 | Romania v Japan | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Japan v Cameroon | D | 0-0 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 18 Feb 2004 | Japan v Oman | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Asia qualifying group 3 |
| 31 Mar 2004 | Singapore v Japan | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Asia qualifying group 3 |
| 28 Apr 2004 | Czech Republic v Japan | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 30 May 2004 | Iceland v Japan | W | 2-3 | SUMMER TOURNAMENT | |
| 01 Jun 2004 | England v Japan | D | 1-1 | Summer Tournament | |
| 16 Dec 2004 | Japan v Germany | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 30 Mar 2005 | Japan v Bahrain | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | World Cup - AFC 3rd Round |
| 22 May 2005 | Japan v Peru | L | 0-1 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 27 May 2005 | Japan v United Arab Emirates | L | 0-1 | KIRIN CUP | |
| 03 Jun 2005 | Bahrain v Japan | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | World Cup - AFC 3rd Round |
| 08 Jun 2005 | Korea DPR v Japan | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | World Cup - AFC 3rd Round |
| 16 Jun 2005 | Japan v Mexico | L | 1-2 | FIFA Confederations Cup | Group B |
| 07 Sep 2005 | Japan v Honduras | W | 5-4 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Latvia v Japan | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Oct 2005 | Ukraine v Japan | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Nov 2005 | Japan v Angola | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Feb 2006 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Japan | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2006 | Japan v Malta | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Jun 2006 | Japan v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 22 Jun 2006 | Japan v Brazil | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 05 Jun 2007 | Japan v Colombia | D | 0-0 | Kirin Cup | |
| 07 Sep 2007 | Austria v Japan | L | 0-0 (3-4) | FOUR NATION TOURNAMENT | |
| 11 Sep 2007 | Switzerland v Japan | W | 3-4 | FOUR NATION TOURNAMENT | |
| 15 Oct 2008 | Japan v Uzbekistan | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Asia 4th round group 1 |
| 28 Jan 2009 | Bahrain v Japan | L | 1-0 | AFC Asian Cup | |
| 09 Sep 2009 | Japan v Ghana | W | 4-3 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Oct 2009 | Japan v Scotland | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Nov 2009 | South Africa v Japan | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Feb 2010 | Japan v Venezuela | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Feb 2010 | Japan v China PR | D | 0-0 | EAFF East Asian Cup | Final group |
| 11 Feb 2010 | Japan v Hong Kong | W | 3-0 | EAFF East Asian Cup | Final group |
| 14 Feb 2010 | Japan v Korea Republic | L | 1-3 | EAFF East Asian Cup | Final group |
| 07 Apr 2010 | Japan v Serbia | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2010 | Japan v Ivory Coast | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Japan v Cameroon | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group E |
| 24 Jun 2010 | Denmark v Japan | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group E |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.