Musashi Suzuki
鈴木 武蔵
Personal information
Full name Musashi Suzuki
Date of birth (1994-02-11) 11 February 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Montego Bay, Jamaica
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Gamba Osaka
Number 9
Youth career
2006–2008 FC Ōta
2009–2011 Kiryu Daiichi High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2017 Albirex Niigata 97 (7)
2014–2015 → J.League U22 (loan) 3 (0)
2015 → Mito HollyHock (loan) 6 (2)
2017 → Matsumoto Yamaga FC (loan) 9 (0)
2018 V-Varen Nagasaki 29 (11)
2019–2020 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 37 (18)
2020–2022 Beerschot 51 (7)
2022– Gamba Osaka 9 (1)
International career‡
2011 Japan U17 4 (0)
2014–2016 Japan U23 10 (7)
2019– Japan 9 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Japan
AFC U-23 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2016 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 November 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 January 2021

Musashi Suzuki (鈴木 武蔵, Suzuki Musashi, born 11 February 1994) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays for Gamba Osaka in the J1 League. He is mainly deployed as a forward.[1][2][3]

Club career

J.League

His mother, Mariko, is Japanese and his father, Robert, is Jamaican. He was born in Jamaica but grew up in Ōta, Japan.[3]

Suzuki entered Kiryu Daiichi High School and played for the school football club.[4] In the 2011 season, the team advanced to the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.[3][5]

After graduating high school in 2012, Suzuki signed a professional contract with Albirex Niigata. On 4 April 2012, Suzuki made his first team debut against Shimizu S-Pulse in the J. League Cup as a 46th-minute substitute.[6] He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 League Cup victory over Omiya Ardija.[2]

V-Varen Nagasaki signed Suzuki before the start of the 2018 J1 season.[7]

International career

Born in Jamaica to a Jamaican father and raised in Japan by his Japanese mother, Suzuki is eligible to represent both Jamaica and Japan. In June 2011, Suzuki was called up to the Japan under-17 national team for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He played in four matches.[8]

He participated in the 2016 AFC U23 Championship for Japan, eventually winning the tournament. In August 2016, he was also called up to the Japan under-23 side for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He played in two matches and scored a goal against Nigeria.[8]

He made his senior debut for the Japan on 22 March 2019, starting in a friendly against Colombia.[9]

Career statistics

Club

As of 23 January 2021.[10][11][12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Albirex Niigata 2012 J1 League 9 0 0 0 4 1 13 1
2013 15 2 1 0 2 0 17 2
2014 29 3 2 3 6 3 34 6
2015 13 1 0 0 2 0 15 1
Mito Hollyhock (loan) 2015 J2 League 6 2 3 1 0 0 9 3
Albirex Niigata 2016 J1 League 14 0 3 0 1 1 18 1
2017 17 1 2 0 5 0 24 1
Matsumoto Yamaga (loan) 2017 J2 League 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
V-Varen Nagasaki 2018 J1 League 29 11 2 1 0 0 31 12
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 2019 J1 League 33 13 0 0 6 7 39 20
2020 4 5 0 0 1 1 5 6
Beerschot 2020–21 Belgian First Division A 18 6 0 0 0 0 18 6
2021–22 25 1 1 0 0 0 26 1
Career total 221 45 14 5 27 13 258 60

International

As of 24 January 2021[13]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2019 7 1
2020 2 0
Total 9 1
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Suzuki goal.[14]
List of international goals scored by Musashi Suzuki
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 December 2019 Busan Gudeok Stadium, Busan, South Korea  China 1–0 2–1 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship

Personal life

Growing up black in Japan, Suzuki said he was a victim of racial abuse and a troubled childhood.[4] Suzuki said the racism was troubling for him, to the point that he "tried to whiten his skin with baby powder", which his mother said, "I like the color you are, Musashi."[4]

Honours

International

Japan U23

References

  1. ^ "鈴木 武蔵選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ" [Announcement of Musashi Suzuki's signing] (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b Shinichiro Saito (28 June 2012). "Musashi Suzuki scores first goal for Niigata in win over Omiya". J's Goal. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Takahito Ando (4 January 2012). "Musashi Suzuki "A bullet of Jōshū"". Yahoo! Sports navi. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "2 players with foreign roots hope to make Olympic soccer team". The Mainichi. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  5. ^ "FIFA Player Statistics: Musashi SUZUKI". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  6. ^ Yoshio Maeshima (5 April 2012). "Match report; Niigata lose 1-0 at Shimizu". J's goal. Archived from the original on 20 February 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  7. ^ "鈴木 武蔵選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ" (in Japanese). V-Varen Nagasaki. 22 December 2017.
  8. ^ a b Musashi Suzuki – FIFA competition record (archived)
  9. ^ "Japan v Colombia game report". ESPN. 22 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Musashi Suzuki » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  11. ^ 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. 137 out of 289)
  12. ^ Musashi Suzuki at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  13. ^ Musashi Suzuki at National-Football-Teams.com Edit this at Wikidata
  14. ^ "Suzuki, Musashi". National Football Teams. Retrieved 10 December 2019.

External links


Gamba Osaka – current squad
Japan men's football squad – 2016 Summer Olympics
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