1. Overview
Daiki Kanei (金井 大樹Kanei DaikiJapanese) is a former Japanese footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born on December 8, 1987, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, Kanei's professional career spanned from 2011 to 2016, during which he played for several clubs in the J.League, including Kataller Toyama, Roasso Kumamoto, and Oita Trinita. Standing at 73 in (185 cm) and weighing 168 lb (76 kg), he was known for his right-footed play. Following his retirement from playing, Kanei transitioned into a coaching role, becoming a goalkeeper coach at Niigata University of Health and Welfare in 2017.
2. Early life and education
Daiki Kanei was born on December 8, 1987, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. His early football development began at Southern FC, followed by his time at Fukuoka Seisho Junior High School. For his high school education, Kanei attended Fukuoka Daiichi High School. He then pursued higher education at Fukuoka University of Economics (now known as Japan University of Economics), where he continued to play football, honing his skills before embarking on his amateur and professional career.
3. Playing career
Daiki Kanei's playing career encompassed both amateur and professional stages, marked by his development through youth clubs, university football, and various J-League teams.
3.1. Youth and amateur career
Kanei's football journey started at the youth level with Southern FC and continued through his time at Fukuoka Seisho Junior High School. He further developed his skills during his high school years at Fukuoka Daiichi High School and later while attending Fukuoka University of Economics.
After graduating from Fukuoka University of Economics in 2010, Kanei joined Japan Soccer College, an amateur club based in Niigata. In March of the same year, a unique opportunity arose when J1 club Albirex Niigata faced a shortage of goalkeepers due to injuries to Takaya Kurokawa and Takahiro Takagi. Kanei was temporarily transferred to Albirex Niigata on an amateur contract, providing cover until June 2010 before returning to Japan Soccer College. During his time at Japan Soccer College, he made 4 appearances in the Hokushin'etsu Football League and 1 appearance in the Emperor's Cup.
3.2. Professional club career
Kanei began his professional career in March 2011, when he joined Kataller Toyama to address their goalkeeper needs following a long-term injury to Tatsuya Tsuruta. He remained with Kataller Toyama until the end of the 2013 season, at which point his contract expired.
In 2014, Kanei transferred to Roasso Kumamoto. His J.League debut came on April 13, 2014, in a J2 League match against Kamatamare Sanuki at Kumamoto Athletics Stadium. This appearance in the 7th match of the season was necessitated by an injury to the team's primary goalkeeper, Minoru Hata, during the previous day's practice. Kanei eventually established himself as a regular starter towards the end of the 2014 season.
The 2015 season saw increased competition for the goalkeeper position at Roasso Kumamoto with the arrival of Yutaro Hara and Daniel Schmidt, which led to Kanei losing his regular spot. In August 2015, he was loaned to Oita Trinita. Despite the move, he had limited opportunities at Oita, only making the bench for one match against his parent club, Roasso Kumamoto, and ultimately made no official appearances during his loan spell.
Kanei returned to Roasso Kumamoto for the 2016 season after his loan ended. He featured in two Emperor's Cup matches but did not make any league appearances that year. At the end of the 2016 season, his contract with Roasso Kumamoto expired, marking the conclusion of his professional playing career.
3.3. Club statistics
The following table details Daiki Kanei's club performance, including appearances and goals, throughout his career.
| Club performance | League | Emperor's Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | Total | |||||
| 2010 | Niigata | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | JSC | Hokushin'etsu 1st Division | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | Toyama | J2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | Kumamoto | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| Oita | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Kumamoto | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Career total | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
4. Post-retirement career
Following his retirement as a professional footballer after the 2016 season, Daiki Kanei transitioned into a coaching role. In 2017, he was appointed as the goalkeeper coach for Niigata University of Health and Welfare, marking the beginning of his career in football instruction.
5. See also
- List of people from Fukuoka Prefecture
- Japan University of Economics
- List of Albirex Niigata players
- List of Kataller Toyama players
- List of Roasso Kumamoto players
- List of Oita Trinita players