Kei Ishikawa

3.1. Vegalta Sendai (First stint)

Ishikawa joined the J1 League club Vegalta Sendai in 2011 after graduating from high school. During this initial period, he struggled to find playing opportunities in official matches, as Takuto Hayashi was firmly established as the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

3.2. Loan spells

To gain experience and playing time, Ishikawa was sent on loan to several clubs, which proved crucial for his professional development.

3.2.2. Blaublitz Akita

For the 2014 season, Ishikawa was loaned to Blaublitz Akita, which had just joined the J3 League. Despite the absence of a dedicated goalkeeper coach at the club, Ishikawa took a proactive approach to his training. He learned about conditioning from former Vegalta Sendai players such as Shingo Kumabayashi and Toshiro Shimakawa and engaged in strength training sessions with players from the Akita Northern Bullets Rugby Football Club. This self-reliant training regimen proved beneficial. He made his J.League debut on March 9, 2014, in the J3 League Matchday 1 game against YSCC Yokohama at NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium. He continued to feature regularly throughout the season, making 21 appearances in the league.

3.3. Return to Vegalta Sendai

Ishikawa returned to Vegalta Sendai for the 2015 season. The club's goalkeeper lineup initially consisted of four players: Yuji Rokutan, Kentaro Seki, Daniel Schmidt, and Ishikawa. Following Daniel Schmidt's loan transfer to Roasso Kumamoto on May 30, Ishikawa became the team's third-choice goalkeeper. He made his first appearance on the bench for Sendai in a Nabisco Cup match against Kawasaki Frontale on June 3. Although he did not play in any official matches in 2015, he was included on the bench for six games across the league and the Emperor's Cup.

In 2016, with Daniel Schmidt again on loan to Matsumoto Yamaga FC, Vegalta Sendai operated with a three-goalkeeper system comprising Rokutan, Seki, and Ishikawa. Ishikawa suffered a muscle strain in February, which kept him out of action for six weeks. However, injuries to both Rokutan and Seki created an opportunity for him. On April 6, he made his first official match appearance for Vegalta Sendai in a Nabisco Cup game against Sagan Tosu. His J1 League debut followed shortly thereafter, on April 10, in a league match against Gamba Osaka.

3.4. Tochigi SC

In 2018, Ishikawa made a permanent transfer to Tochigi SC. During his tenure with the club, he found playing time limited. He made only 2 appearances, as he faced stiff competition from established goalkeepers Akihiko Takejige and Johnny Leoni.

3.5. Sagan Tosu

On August 5, 2019, Ishikawa transferred permanently to Sagan Tosu. The club had been seeking a new goalkeeper following Takao Okubo's departure. Despite the transfer, Ishikawa did not make any league appearances during his time at Sagan Tosu, as he was unable to displace the team's then-starting goalkeeper, Yohei Takaoka.

3.6. Gamba Osaka

Ishikawa completed a permanent transfer to Gamba Osaka on January 6, 2020. At Gamba, he continued to face significant competition for a starting role, primarily from the club's long-standing first-choice goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi, as well as newly acquired goalkeeper Jun Ichimori. In 2020, he made 2 appearances in the Levain Cup, but did not feature in any league matches. He made 3 appearances in the AFC Champions League during the 2021 season.

In 2022, Higashiguchi sustained an injury before the season began, opening up an opportunity for Ishikawa. He started the opening league match against Kashima Antlers on February 26. In the second match of the season against Urawa Red Diamonds, he delivered a strong performance with a series of crucial saves that contributed significantly to the team's first victory of the season. However, on March 6, in the third league match against Kawasaki Frontale, while Gamba Osaka was leading 2-1 in the final minutes, Ishikawa committed a critical error. After catching an opponent's header, he placed the ball on the ground to clear it, unaware that Yu Kobayashi was directly behind him. Kobayashi quickly seized the ball, leading to an equalizing goal by Leandro Damião. Following this incident and amidst the team's overall struggle for form, Ishikawa lost his position to Ichimori and Higashiguchi, who returned from injury, from April onwards.

In 2023, with the return of Kohei Tani from Shonan Bellmare, Ishikawa became the third-choice goalkeeper behind Tani and Higashiguchi. Despite this, he consistently made the bench for all cup matches and, following Tani's transfer overseas, for all remaining league matches. On December 3, he made his first appearance of the season, starting in the final J1 League match against Vissel Kobe. He did not make any appearances for Gamba Osaka during the 2024 season.

3.7. Ventforet Kofu

It was announced that Kei Ishikawa would transfer to Ventforet Kofu for the 2025 season.

4.1. Domestic league statistics

4.2. Domestic cup statistics

This table includes appearances in the Emperor's Cup and the J.League Cup. It also includes the Akita Prefectural General Football Championship, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the Emperor's Cup.

4.3. Continental club statistics

This table details Kei Ishikawa's appearances in the AFC Champions League, the premier club football competition in Asia.

5.1. Club honours

• Sony Sendai FC
  • NHK Cup / Kahoku Cup Miyagi Prefectural Football Championship: 2013
• Blaublitz Akita
  • Akita Prefectural General Football Championship: 2014