Kengo Ishii

2.1. Youth and Early Career

Born in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Kengo Ishii started his football development with local youth teams. His early clubs included Flower River South Eleven and ADEAM SAPPORO FC, which is now known as Maeda Chuo FC U-15. He later joined the Consadole Sapporo Youth U-18 team, continuing his development while attending Hokkaido Sapporo Shinoro High School. Even during his youth career, Ishii gradually distinguished himself, participating in training sessions with the top team. On December 3, 2004, it was officially announced that Ishii, alongside Tatsuro Noda, would be promoted to the professional first team for the 2005 season.

2.2. Consadole Sapporo (First Stint)

Ishii began his professional career with Consadole Sapporo in 2005, wearing the number 25 shirt. In his rookie year, he quickly found opportunities, especially after teammate Takeya Horii suffered a long-term injury. Under coach Masahiro Yanagishita, Ishii featured in 18 official matches and scored his first professional goal on December 3, 2005, in the final J2 League match against Thespa Kusatsu.

In 2006, Ishii inherited the number 9 shirt from Horii, who had left the club. He matured into a key player, consistently featuring in matches and competing for a forward position with players like Hulk and Shinya Aikawa. Ishii scored 9 goals throughout the season, a performance that earned him a call-up to the U-21 Japan national team training camp in September, aiming for the Beijing Olympics.

The 2007 season saw Toshiya Miura take over as coach. Despite the arrival of new forward Davi, who became the primary attacker, and the continued involvement of Genki Nakayama, Ishii remained impactful. Though often a substitute, he seized his opportunities, scoring 6 decisive goals that helped Sapporo secure the J2 League championship.

However, Ishii's playing time significantly decreased in 2008 during the J1 League season. Davi and Nakayama remained preferred choices, compounded by the emergence of rookie Hiroki Miyazawa and the utilization of Cleiton as a forward. An injury to his right knee medial collateral ligament in June further limited him, resulting in only 9 league appearances and no goals, marking his first scoreless professional season.

In 2009, with Nobuhiro Ishizaki as the new coach, Ishii was appointed vice-captain, indicating high expectations for his leadership. He started the opening match but subsequently lost his place due to the strong performances of new signing Thiago Quirino, Miyazawa, and the rise of college graduate Shinya Uehara, who was the same age. On November 28, his contract with Sapporo was announced to be terminated, followed by an announcement on December 17 of his complete transfer to Ehime FC.

2.3. Ehime FC

Upon joining Ehime FC in 2010, Kengo Ishii was given the number 11 shirt, with expectations to fill the void left by Keiichiro Uchimura, who had moved to Sapporo after scoring 18 goals for Ehime the previous season. Ishii quickly gained the trust of coach Ivica Barbaric, starting from the opening match and becoming a key player. He scored his first goal for Ehime on June 13 in a J2 League match against his former club, Sapporo. On August 29, in another J2 match against Sapporo, he successfully converted a penalty kick, marking Ehime's 200th overall goal and contributing to a victory against his former team.

In 2011, the arrival of Manabu Saito intensified competition for his position, but Ishii continued to be a crucial player, featuring in many matches throughout the year. His first goal of the season came later, on May 27 against FC Gifu. However, he found his form afterward, notably scoring the decisive goal in the third round of the Emperor's Cup on November 16 against Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C., helping Ehime achieve their first-ever victory against Hiroshima.

The 2012 season saw Saito depart, but new players like Koki Arita joined, maintaining fierce competition. Ishii consistently performed well, scoring early in the season. Despite a team slump in the summer, he scored the winning goal on September 23 in a J2 match against Fagiano Okayama, ending a 14-game winless streak, an emotional moment for Ishii. From this season onwards, he primarily played as a right-sided player.

In 2013, Ishii earned the trust of new coach Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He started the J2 opening match on March 3 against Montedio Yamagata, scoring a goal and contributing to a victory. He also scored in the next match on March 10 against Matsumoto Yamaga FC and was involved in other scoring plays, making him an indispensable player for Ehime in the first half of the season. However, he sustained a right knee medial collateral ligament injury in late July, forcing him out of action. On November 27, it was announced that he would return to his former club, Sapporo, after five years.

2.4. Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (Second Stint)

Returning to Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in 2014 after a five-year absence, Ishii was met with high expectations from supporters, even topping a pre-season practice match starting lineup poll on the club's website. He played consistently throughout the season, appearing in 36 matches and scoring 3 goals.

On September 11, 2016, during the J2 League Matchday 31 against Thespa Kusatsu Gunma, Ishii achieved a significant milestone by making his 300th appearance in the J2 League, becoming the 27th player in league history to do so. He featured in 27 matches that season, playing a crucial role in the club's J2 League championship victory and their return to the J1 League after five years.

In 2017, Ishii made his return to the J1 League for the first time since 2008. He started the opening match and featured in three consecutive games. However, his appearances subsequently became limited to the J.League Cup and Emperor's Cup. Despite the team successfully avoiding relegation and securing J1 League status for the first time in 16 years, his contract was not renewed, and his departure was announced on December 1.

2.5. Thai League and Nankatsu SC

In 2018, Kengo Ishii made a complete transfer to Samut Sakhon F.C. in the Thai League 2, the second tier of Thai football. After his stint in Thailand, Ishii returned to Japan in 2019, joining Nankatsu SC, a club competing in the Tokyo Prefectural Soccer League at the time. He continued playing for Nankatsu SC until 2022, during which the club moved up to the Kantō Soccer League.

2.6. Retirement

On November 15, 2022, Kengo Ishii officially announced his retirement from professional football, concluding a career that spanned nearly two decades and saw him contribute to multiple clubs across different leagues.

5.1. Team

• Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
  • J2 League: 2007, 2016