1. Early life and education
Manabu Ikeda's formative years were spent in his hometown before he embarked on his football journey through esteemed youth academies and high school programs.
1.1. Birth and childhood
Manabu Ikeda was born on July 3, 1980, in Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan. He began his football journey in his local area of Ibaraki. During his junior high school years, he played in the youth organization of Gamba Osaka from 1993 to 1995, where he was teammates with notable players such as Masashi Oguro.
1.2. Youth career
Following his time with the Gamba Osaka junior youth team, Ikeda continued his football and academic pursuits at Shimizu Commercial High School in Shizuoka Prefecture, from 1996 to 1998. His performance at Shimizu Commercial High School attracted attention from professional clubs.
2. Professional playing career
Ikeda's professional football career began in 1999, primarily playing as a defender for J.League clubs, though it was marked by periods of both activity and challenges, including injuries.
2.1. Urawa Reds
Ikeda joined Urawa Reds, a J1 League club, in 1999 after graduating from Shimizu Commercial High School. His recruitment involved an interesting anecdote where, despite earlier reports suggesting he might join Verdy Kawasaki, he chose Urawa Reds following a direct invitation from his former high school senior, Shinji Ono. In his rookie season (1999), he played many matches as a center back. During the final match of the 1999 J1 season, after Urawa Reds' relegation to J2 League had been decided, Ikeda famously misunderstood the outcome and hugged Masahiro Fukuda after a V-goal, mistakenly believing Urawa had secured J1 survival. It was later revealed that the club had intentionally not informed him of the relegation decision during extra time to keep him focused on the match.
However, the club was indeed relegated to J2 in 2000, and Ikeda did not make any appearances that year. Urawa Reds achieved promotion back to J1 the following year. In 2001, Ikeda once again played in many matches for the club. Despite his promising talent, possessing height, speed, and strength as a defender, his professional career at Urawa Reds was frequently hampered by significant injuries, which prevented him from consistently demonstrating his full potential. He did not play any matches in 2002, marking the end of his tenure with the club.
2.2. Shonan Bellmare
In 2003, Ikeda moved to Shonan Bellmare, a J2 League club. He remained with Shonan Bellmare for two seasons, 2003 and 2004. However, during his time there, he did not play many matches. At the end of the 2004 season, he decided to retire from professional football.
2.3. FC Horikoshi
After his departure from Shonan Bellmare, Ikeda briefly joined FC Horikoshi (now Arte Takasaki) in 2005. However, he left the club early in the season and was not officially registered as a player for their competitive matches.
2.4. National team selections
Manabu Ikeda had a notable history with various Japan national youth teams and was considered for the senior national team. Shortly before the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship (Nigeria tournament), he received an additional call-up to the U-20 Japan national team under coach Philippe Troussier. However, he was unable to participate in the tournament because there was insufficient time for him to receive the necessary vaccinations for entry into Nigeria. Despite this setback, Troussier recognized Ikeda's abilities and continued to include him as a candidate for the U-22 national team and later for training camps with the senior national team.
3. Career statistics
Manabu Ikeda's professional career statistics are detailed below, encompassing his appearances and goals in league, Emperor's Cup, and J.League Cup competitions.
Club performance | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
1999 | Urawa | J1 League | 17 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 3 | |
2000 | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2001 | J1 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
2002 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2003 | Shonan | J2 League | 13 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||
2004 | J2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
2005 | Horikoshi | Japan Football League | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||
J1 League Total | 30 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 3 | |||
J2 League Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | ||||
JFL Total | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||
Career Total | 44 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 56 | 3 |
4. Post-retirement activities
After retiring from professional football, Manabu Ikeda embarked on new career paths, leveraging his skills and passion in both the business sector and the sport he loves.
4.1. Real estate career
Upon retiring from football, Ikeda made a significant career transition into the real estate industry. He joined Sumitomo Fudosan Hanbai (Asagaya Sales Center) on August 25, 2005, and successfully obtained his qualification as a real estate agent in the same year. In an interview, he stated that he had been interested in real estate since childhood and only considered real estate as a post-retirement profession. In October 2006, he moved to Mitsubishi UFJ Fudosan Hanbai, initially working at their Omiya Center before transferring to the Urawa Center in September 2008. He concluded his employment with Mitsubishi UFJ Fudosan Hanbai on November 11, 2018.
4.2. Soccer coaching and community involvement
Beyond his real estate career, Ikeda maintained a strong connection to football through coaching and community work. He established his own coaching venture, the Robo Soccer School, in Kumagaya, Saitama. On March 1, 2020, he was appointed as a coach for the Urawa Reds Heart-full Club, an initiative focused on promoting youth football development and community engagement. As of July 2022, he continues to actively participate in various events and interviews as a former Urawa Reds player, contributing to the club's legacy and community outreach.
5. Personal life
Manabu Ikeda is known for his particular interests outside of football. Among his notable personal quirks, he is an exceptional enthusiast of curry.
6. See also
- List of Gamba Osaka players#Academy graduates
- List of Urawa Red Diamonds players
- List of Shonan Bellmare players
- 1999 J1 League final match
7. External links
- [https://data.j-league.or.jp/SFIX04/?player_id=5794 J.League Data Site]
- [http://robo660.blog26.fc2.com/ Manabu Ikeda's "Robo Nikki" Blog]
- [http://blog.drecom.jp/roboroborobo/ Shonan Bellmare ROBO's Diary]
- [http://www.j-league.or.jp/csc/report/report_ikeda.html J.League Career Support Center OB Report]