Yuichiro Nagai

Football player infobox
playername = Yuichiro Nagai


fullname = Yuichiro Nagai
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|2|14
cityofbirth = Shinjuku, Tokyo
countryofbirth = Japan
height = height|m=1.84
currentclub = flagicon|Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
clubnumber = 9
youthyears =
youthclubs = flagicon|Japan Mitsubishi Yowa Junior
flagicon|Japan Mitsubishi Yowa Junior Youth
flagicon|Japan Mitsubishi Yowa Youth
position = Forward/Midfielder
years = 1997-present
1998-1999
clubs = flagicon|Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
flagicon|Germany → Karlsruher SC (loan)
caps(goals) = 266 0(62)
022 00(4)
nationalyears = 2003
nationalteam = flagicon|Japan Japan
nationalcaps(goals) = 004 00(1)
pcupdate = 14 July 2008
ntupdate = 14 July 2008nihongo|Yuichiro Nagai|永井 雄一郎|Nagai Yūichirō|born 14 February 1979 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese football (soccer) player. He is a forward and currently plays for J. League side Urawa Red Diamonds.

Playing career

Club

He played his youth football at Mitsubishi Yowa Club. After graduating from high school in 1997, he joined Urawa. He made his professional debut on April 12 of that year in the opening league match against Yokohama Marinos at Urawa Komaba Stadium.

Nagai was loaned out to German second division Bundesliga side Karlsruher from 1998 to 1999. He played 22 league games and scored four goals.

In 2003, he took over the number nine jersey from iconic Masahiro Fukuda after the latter retired from the game. He scored a hat trick against Tokyo Verdy 1969 on August 21, 2004. In the same match, his teammate Koji Yamase also scored three goals. On January 1, 2007, he was instrumental in Urawa defending the Emperor's Cup by scoring a late winner assisted by Masayuki Okano.

In AFC Champions League 2007, he helped Urawa win the tournament scoring 3 goals. He was named the player of the tournament. [languageicon|en|English [http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=480983 Urawa Reds In Raptures Over Asian Crown] ] [languageicon|en|English [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20071115TDY20305.htm Reds rule Asia / Sink Sepahan to become 1st J.League club to win ACL, earn Club World Cup berth] ]

International

He was a member of the Japan team for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship hosted by Malaysia. He scored a goal against Costa Rica at the group stage. The team was eliminated at the quarterfinal. He also represented Japan at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship hosted by Nigeria. He scored a goal in the semi-final against Uruguay and contributed to the team finishing runners-up in the competition.

He made his full international debut for Japan on April 21, 2003 in a friendly against South Korea at Seoul World Cup Stadium. His first international goal was the winner in the same match. He is so far capped four times and scored one goal.

Clubs

* 1997-1998: flagicon|Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
* 1998-1999: flagicon|Germany Karlsruher SC
* 1999-present: flagicon|Japan Urawa Red Diamonds

National team

*

International Goals

Honors and awards

Individual

* AFC Champions League Player of the Tournament: 2007

Team

* AFC Champions League Winner: 2007
* J. League Winner: 2006
* Emperor's Cup Winner: 2005, 2006
* J. League Cup Winner: 2004
* Japanese Super Cup Winner: 2006
* FIFA World Youth Championship Runner-up: 1999

References