Daiki Niwa (footballer)

1.1. Childhood and early education

Born in Kawachinagano, Osaka, Daiki Niwa commenced his football training at Nankadai JSC (South Hanadai JSC), where he played from 1994 to 1997. Following this, he joined the youth academy of Gamba Osaka, playing for Gamba Osaka Sakai Junior Youth from 1998 to 2000. He attended Osaka Prefectural Nagano High School while progressing through the youth ranks. Daiki Niwa also has a notable family connection, as his older brother, Keisuke Niwa, is a professional fighter.

1.2. Youth club and national team development

Niwa was promoted to the Gamba Osaka youth team in 2001, where he continued his development until 2003. During his time with the youth team, he demonstrated significant leadership qualities, eventually serving as the team captain. In his first year of high school, he was selected for the Japan U-15 national team. In 2002, he played a crucial role as a regular center-back for the U-17 team, contributing to Gamba Osaka youth's victory in the J-Youth Cup. His talent was further recognized internationally when he participated in the AFC U-17 Championship 2002, where he was selected for the tournament's Best Eleven. He also participated in the Toyota International Youth Soccer Tournament with the U-16 team in 2002 and the Sanix Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament with the U-17 team in 2003. He continued to represent Japan at various age levels, including the U-18, U-19, and U-20 national teams.

2.1. Gamba Osaka (2004-2006)

Upon graduating from high school in 2004, Daiki Niwa officially joined the senior team of Gamba Osaka. He was part of the same intake as Shinichi Terada and Ryota Miki. Despite being a promising youth prospect, he found playing opportunities scarce during his initial three seasons with the club, seeing no league appearances until 2006.

2.2. Loan spells (2007-2011)

To gain valuable experience and playing time, Niwa embarked on several loan spells, which proved instrumental in his development as a professional player.

2.3. Return to Gamba Osaka (2012-2017)

In 2012, Daiki Niwa returned to Gamba Osaka after a six-season absence due to his loan spells. He was frequently deployed as a full-back due to an injury crisis within the squad. Despite Gamba Osaka's attack scoring the most goals in the league, defensive issues led to the club's historic relegation to J2 that season. However, Niwa continued to feature prominently in 2013 and, after a long-term injury to regular starter Keisuke Iwashita, he established himself as a consistent presence in the starting lineup. He contributed significantly to Gamba Osaka's strong performance, helping the team secure promotion back to J1 and win the J2 League title. He also scored his first league goal for Gamba Osaka in a match against Tokushima Vortis, his first goal for the club in three years.

In 2014, Niwa's season began with some inconsistent defensive performances, leading to him temporarily losing his starting spot. However, following an injury to Takaharu Nishino, he regained his position as a regular. He became a vital part of a defense that allowed the second-fewest goals in the league, playing a key role in Gamba Osaka's historic domestic treble, winning the J1 League, Emperor's Cup, and J.League Cup. The 2015 season saw Niwa remain consistently fit, playing every minute of all league matches while other center-backs struggled with injuries. His exceptional performance earned him the "Golden Leg Award" from Nikkan Sports. A memorable moment occurred in the J.League Championship semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds, where his floating back-pass nearly resulted in an own goal. However, the ball was cleared just in time, leading to a counter-attack that culminated in Hiroki Fujiharu's winning goal. This unusual sequence of events garnered attention from international media. Niwa later explained that the ball bounced unexpectedly as he kicked it, causing it to float.

By the 2017 season, new signings like Genta Miura and Fábio had secured regular starting positions, reducing Niwa's playing time. Recognizing the need for a new challenge, Niwa decided to move to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, which was seeking a replacement for their recently departed defender Tsukasa Shiotani.

2.4. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (2017-2018)

On June 27, 2017, it was officially announced that Daiki Niwa had joined Sanfrecce Hiroshima on a permanent transfer. During the remainder of the 2017 season, he primarily started as a right-back. However, in 2018, his opportunities were limited as he served as a substitute for Takuya Wada and also dealt with injuries, restricting his appearances.

2.5. FC Tokyo (2018-2020)

Niwa joined FC Tokyo on a permanent transfer on July 18, 2018. In the latter half of the 2018 J1 League season, he made six appearances. However, his playing time decreased significantly in 2019, with no league appearances; he only featured in two J.League Cup matches and two Emperor's Cup games.

In the 2020 season, Niwa made only three league appearances. Nevertheless, he showcased strong performances in matches where he was given a chance, such as the J20th match against Shonan Bellmare (where FC Tokyo fielded a youthful squad) and the J31st match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima (immediately after returning from the AFC Champions League). He also started in the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage match against Perth Glory FC, which was crucial for advancing, contributing to a clean sheet victory.

2.6. European career (2021-)

On May 6, 2021, it was announced that Daiki Niwa had permanently transferred to Sestao River Club, a team in the Spanish fourth tier at the time. He played a vital role in their promotion efforts, featuring for the full 90 minutes in both playoff matches, which helped the team secure promotion to the Spanish third tier. After two seasons with Sestao River Club, on July 1, 2023, Niwa moved to Arenas Club de Getxo, where he continues his career in Spanish football.

3.1. Youth national teams

Niwa was a consistent presence in Japan's youth national teams. He was selected for the U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-20 squads. His participation included the 2002 AFC U-17 Championship qualifiers and the main tournament with the U-16 team, as well as the Toyota International Youth Soccer Tournament in the same year. In 2003, he also took part in the Sanix Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament with the U-17 team, showcasing his development across different youth categories.

3.2. Senior national team

On May 7, 2015, Daiki Niwa received his first call-up to the senior Japan national football team for a two-day training camp under coach Vahid Halilhodžić. He was subsequently named to the squad for the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup on July 23, 2015. Niwa made his international A-match debut on August 9, 2015, against China in the EAFF East Asian Cup 2015 held in Wuhan, China. He also participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian Second Round and played in an international friendly match against Iran on October 13, 2015. In total, he earned two caps for the senior national team in 2015.

4.1. Club performance

¹ Includes Japanese Super Cup and J.League Championship appearances, and Tercera División promotion playoffs.

4.2. Reserve team performance

Daiki Niwa also accumulated appearances for reserve teams during his career in Japan.

4.3. National team performance

5.1. Club honors

• Gamba Osaka Youth
  • J-Youth Cup: 2002
• Gamba Osaka
  • J1 League: 2005, 2014
  • J2 League: 2013
  • Emperor's Cup: 2014, 2015
  • J.League Cup: 2014
  • Japanese Super Cup: 2015
• FC Tokyo
  • J.League Cup: 2020
• Sestao River Club
  • Segunda División B: 2022-23

5.2. Individual honors

• 2002 AFC Youth Championship Best Eleven: 2002
• Nikkan Sports "Golden Leg Award": 2015