1. Overview
Hironori Nishi (西 弘則Nishi HironoriJapanese) is a Japanese former professional football player who primarily played as a midfielder. Born on February 25, 1987, in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Nishi's career spanned from his youth development at Kumamoto Kōfu High School and Ryutsu Keizai University to his professional tenure with several prominent Japanese clubs. He played for Roasso Kumamoto, Oita Trinita, and Kamatamare Sanuki before retiring at the end of the 2019 season. This article details his personal background, career trajectory across various leagues and cup competitions, comprehensive statistics, and notable personal anecdotes and achievements.
2. Personal Information
Hironori Nishi was born on February 25, 1987, in Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He is a Japanese national and played as a midfielder throughout his professional career. Nishi stands at 66 in (168 cm) tall and weighs 130 lb (59 kg). He is predominantly right-footed.
3. Player Career
Hironori Nishi's football career encompassed both his formative years in youth academies and universities, and his extensive professional playing career across various Japanese football leagues.
3.1. Youth Career
Nishi attended Kumamoto Kōfu High School from 2002 to 2004, where he began his organized football training. Following his high school graduation, he enrolled at Ryutsu Keizai University, playing for their football team from 2005 to 2008. During his time at the university, Nishi established himself as a key player, becoming a regular starter from his second year. He contributed significantly to the team's success, helping them win the Prime Minister's Cup All Japan University Soccer Tournament once in 2007 and securing two championships in the Kanto University Soccer League in 2006 and 2008. While at university, he also gained experience playing in the Japan Football League (JFL).
3.2. Professional Career
Nishi's professional career began in 2009 and saw him play for three different clubs across the J1, J2, and J3 Leagues.
3.2.1. Roasso Kumamoto
In 2009, Hironori Nishi joined Roasso Kumamoto, the professional club based in his hometown. He made his professional debut in the J2 League on March 8, 2009, in a match against Thespakusatsu Gunma at Kumamoto KK WING. His first J2 League goal came on June 3, 2009, during a game against Shonan Bellmare at Hiratsuka Stadium. In his inaugural professional season, Nishi scored 8 goals for the club. He remained with Roasso Kumamoto for two seasons, departing at the end of 2010.
3.2.2. Oita Trinita
Nishi transferred to Oita Trinita in 2011, where he spent five seasons until the end of 2015. During his tenure with Oita, he notably scored against his former club, Roasso Kumamoto, in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In 2013, Nishi experienced playing in the top-tier J1 League for the first time in his career. That season, he participated in 33 official matches, starting in 25 of them. Although he did not score any league goals in 2013, he scored the decisive winning goal in the fourth round of the Emperor's Cup against Kashiwa Reysol. This crucial goal helped Oita Trinita advance to the quarter-finals of the Emperor's Cup, marking the club's best performance in the competition at that time. In 2015, during a J2 League match against FC Gifu, Nishi scored his first league goal in three seasons. At the conclusion of the 2015 season, Oita Trinita was relegated to the J3 League.
3.2.3. Kamatamare Sanuki
In 2016, Nishi made a permanent transfer to Kamatamare Sanuki. At Kamatamare Sanuki, he reunited with coach Makoto Kitano, who had previously managed him during his first year at Roasso Kumamoto. Nishi continued to play for Kamatamare Sanuki for four seasons, remaining with the club even after their relegation to the J3 League in 2019.
3.3. Retirement
Hironori Nishi officially retired from professional football at the conclusion of the 2019 season, after spending four seasons with Kamatamare Sanuki.
4. Statistics and Records
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of Hironori Nishi's club performance throughout his career across various leagues and cup competitions.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Other (incl. J3 Relegation Playoffs) | Total | |||||||
| 2005 | Ryutsu Keizai University | JFL | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | 12 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 13 | 1 | ||||
| 2007 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 11 | 7 | ||||
| 2008 | 8 | 2 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 8 | 2 | ||||
| 2009 | Roasso Kumamoto | J2 League | 43 | 8 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 44 | 8 | ||
| 2010 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 4 | ||||
| 2011 | Oita Trinita | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 7 | |||
| 2012 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 3 | ||||
| 2013 | J1 League | 25 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2014 | J2 League | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |||
| 2016 | Kamatamare Sanuki | J2 League | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 3 | ||
| 2017 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 4 | ||||
| 2018 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2019 | J3 League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 368 | 39 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 388 | 40 | ||
Other official matches:
- 2019: Kagawa Prefectural Soccer Championship (Emperor's Cup Kagawa Prefectural Qualifiers): 1 game, 0 goals.
5. Personal Anecdotes and Evaluation
Hironori Nishi earned the nickname "Nishi" (ニッシNishiJapanese) due to perceived similarities in his build and playing style to Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi. This led to him sometimes being referred to as "Higo no Messi," or "Messi of Higo," a reference to the historical Higo Province in Kumamoto.
Beyond his football career, Nishi maintained connections with notable individuals from his school days. His high school classmates included Kota Fujimoto, who also went on to become a professional footballer, and Asami Kai, a Japanese talent and actress. Furthermore, professional golfer Momoko Ueda was a classmate of Nishi's during their middle school years.
6. Awards and Honors
During his university football career, Hironori Nishi achieved several significant team awards:
- Ryutsu Keizai University**
- Kanto University Soccer League Division 1: 2006, 2008
- Prime Minister's Cup All Japan University Soccer Tournament: 2007