1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Masaki Watanabe was born on December 2, 1986, in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, Japan. His journey into football began at an early age, specifically in the second grade of elementary school. This period coincided with the popularization of the J.League, which created a football boom in Japan and sparked his interest in the sport, leading him to play with friends after school. He subsequently joined the Nagaokakyo SS youth club, formally embarking on his football development. During his time at Nagaokakyo SS, he played alongside Akihiro Ienaga, who was a childhood friend and played a role in encouraging him to join the club.
1.1. Youth and University Football
Watanabe continued to hone his skills through his academic years. He attended Kyoto Prefectural Katsura High School, where he played for the school's football team. Following high school, he advanced to Kyoto Sangyo University, where he was also a prominent member of the university's football club. During both his high school and university years, he was teammates with Kazuto Kushida. By his fourth year at Kyoto Sangyo University, Watanabe's talent was recognized, leading to an internal agreement for him to join Sagan Tosu, a professional club in the J.League, marking his transition from collegiate to professional football.
2. Professional Career
Masaki Watanabe's professional career spanned over a decade, with significant periods in both the Japanese J.League and the Malaysian football scene.
2.1. J.League Career
Watanabe began his professional journey in 2009 with Sagan Tosu in the J2 League. In his debut season, he quickly established himself, appearing in 40 league matches and scoring 2 goals, while also playing in 2 Emperor's Cup matches and scoring once.
From 2010 to 2012, he transferred to Yokohama FC, another J2 League club. During this first stint, he made 30 league appearances and scored 3 goals in 2010. His playing time decreased in subsequent years, with 7 appearances in 2011 and 6 in 2012. He also participated in a total of 4 Emperor's Cup matches, scoring 1 goal in 2012.
In 2013, Watanabe joined Giravanz Kitakyushu, remaining in the J2 League. He was a consistent presence in the team, playing 33 league matches in 2013 and 40 in 2014. He also featured in 6 Emperor's Cup matches over these two seasons, scoring one goal in 2014.
For the 2015 season, Watanabe moved up to the top-tier J1 League with Ventforet Kofu. He made 3 league appearances and 4 J. League Cup appearances before being loaned to FC Gifu in the J2 League midway through the season. At FC Gifu, he played in 19 league matches and scored 1 goal. He returned to Ventforet Kofu for the 2016 season, where he played 1 league match and 5 J. League Cup matches.
His second stint with Yokohama FC began in 2017. He played 12 league matches and 1 Emperor's Cup match in 2017. In his final season in Japan, 2018, he appeared in 9 league matches and 2 Emperor's Cup matches for Yokohama FC. His J.League debut was on March 25, 2009, in a J2 4th round match against Fagiano Okayama FC at Tosu Stadium. He scored his first J.League goal on July 19, 2009, in a J2 28th round match against Vegalta Sendai at the same stadium.
2.2. Move to Malaysia and Later Career
In 2019, Masaki Watanabe ventured into Malaysian football, joining Perlis FA in the Malaysia Premier League. However, his tenure was short-lived, lasting only one month due to severe salary payment issues faced by the club. This unfortunate circumstance highlighted the challenges some professional footballers encounter in securing stable employment and fair compensation, reflecting broader issues in sports management.
Following his departure from Perlis FA in February 2019, Watanabe immediately moved to FELDA United FC, which competed in the top-tier Malaysia Super League. He played 8 league matches for them.
In 2020, he transferred to Kelantan FA, returning to the Malaysia Premier League, where he made 8 league appearances. His final professional club was Terengganu FC II, which he joined in 2021, also in the Malaysia Premier League. He played 22 league matches for them, marking the end of his active playing career in Malaysia.
3. Playing Style and Position
Masaki Watanabe primarily played as a defender, with his main position being a center-back. He was known for his physical presence, standing at 71 in (181 cm) tall and weighing 170 lb (77 kg). He was a right-footed player, which influenced his positioning and distribution on the field. His role as a central defender required strong aerial ability, tactical awareness, and effective tackling, all of which contributed to his long and varied career in both Japanese and Malaysian leagues.
4. Club Statistics
The following table details Masaki Watanabe's professional club statistics, including appearances and goals in various league, cup, and league cup competitions.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J. League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2009 | Sagan Tosu | J2 League | 40 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 3 |
| 2010 | Yokohama FC | J2 League | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2013 | Giravanz Kitakyushu | J2 League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 2014 | 40 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | Ventforet Kofu | J1 League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FC Gifu | J2 League | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Ventforet Kofu | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2017 | Yokohama FC | J2 League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2018 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Malaysia | League | Malaysia FA Cup | Malaysia Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2019 | Perlis FA | Malaysia Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2019 | FELDA United FC | Malaysia Super League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2020 | Kelantan FA | Malaysia Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | Terengganu FC II | Malaysia Premier League | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Career Total | 241 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 265 | 9 | ||
5. Retirement
Masaki Watanabe announced his retirement as a professional footballer in 2022. The announcement was made through his personal social media channels, concluding a career that spanned over thirteen years across Japanese and Malaysian leagues.