1. Overview
Naoya Senoo (妹尾 直哉Senoo NaoyaJapanese), nicknamed "Chappie", is a Japanese professional football player who currently plays as a midfielder and defender for Vanraure Hachinohe in the J3 League. Born in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture on August 15, 1996, Senoo stands at 68 in (172 cm) and weighs 132 lb (60 kg), primarily using his right foot. His career spans various Japanese clubs, from his youth development at local academies to his professional debut with Gamba Osaka and subsequent tenures at AC Nagano Parceiro and Gainare Tottori, before finding significant success with Vanraure Hachinohe, where he achieved a career-best goal-scoring record and contributed to the club's highest-ever league finish.
2. Early life and youth career
Naoya Senoo began his football journey in his hometown, developing his skills in both traditional football and futsal from a young age.
2.1. Early football development
Senoo started playing football at Mie FC Centro Tsunan and futsal at Tsu Rapido FC. His talent was recognized early when, as a sixth-grader in 2008, he led Tsu Rapido FC to victory in the All Japan Youth Futsal Tournament, where he was also honored with the Best Player award. Throughout his junior high school years, he continued to play both football and futsal for Tsu Rapido FC.
2.2. Youth club career
In 2012, Senoo joined the Gamba Osaka youth academy, continuing his development until 2014 while attending Otemon Gakuin High School. His performance in the youth system paved the way for his eventual promotion to the professional ranks.
3. Professional career
Naoya Senoo's professional career began with Gamba Osaka, where he rose through the youth ranks before transitioning to other clubs and becoming a pivotal player.
3.1. Gamba Osaka
Senoo was promoted to the Gamba Osaka first team for the 2015 season, an announcement made in October 2014, alongside fellow youth prospects Mizuki Hayashi, Shota Yomesaka, and So Hirao. He made his first official appearance for the top team on October 7, 2015, in the first leg of the Nabisco Cup semi-final against Albirex Niigata at Denka Big Swan Stadium. While with Gamba Osaka, he also significantly contributed to the U-23 team in the J3 League, playing as a versatile side back and side half. On August 2, 2016, he signed a professional A contract. In a J3 match on July 2, 2017, he scored two goals against Tochigi SC. In March 2018, he sustained a left hamstring strain during practice but recovered after rehabilitation. He scored his first top team goal on May 9, 2018, in a Levain Cup match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, coming on as a substitute. After the 2018 season, his contract with Gamba Osaka expired.
3.2. AC Nagano Parceiro
In 2019, Senoo joined AC Nagano Parceiro. His time with the club was impacted by an injury in October of the same year, when he underwent surgery for a left shoulder joint dislocation, which required a 12-week recovery period. He remained with AC Nagano Parceiro until the end of the 2020 season, after which his contract expired.
3.3. Gainare Tottori
Senoo then moved to Gainare Tottori in 2021. He played for the club for two seasons until his contract expired on November 17, 2022. Following his departure from Gainare Tottori, he participated in the J.League joint tryout held at Kanseki Stadium Tochigi on November 29, 2022.
3.4. Vanraure Hachinohe
In 2023, Senoo made a full transfer to Vanraure Hachinohe, with the move officially announced on December 7, 2022. He quickly became an integral part of the team, appointed as the Tohoku Town Support Ambassador on June 16, 2023, as part of the club's community engagement program. The 2023 season marked a significant milestone in his career; although primarily coming on as a substitute, he appeared in all league matches and emerged as the team's top scorer with 10 goals, marking his first professional season with double-digit goals. His contributions were crucial in Vanraure Hachinohe achieving their highest-ever finish in the J3 League, securing a single-digit ranking. He continued to contribute to the team in the 2024 season.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club performance
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Emperor's Cup Apps | Emperor's Cup Goals | J.League Cup Apps | J.League Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Gamba Osaka | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Nagano Parceiro | J3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | Gainare Tottori | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2022 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2023 | Vanraure Hachinohe | 38 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 10 | ||
| 2024 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 110 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 119 | 22 | |||
4.2. Reserve team performance
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Gamba Osaka U-23 | J3 | 29 | 3 | 29 | 3 | |
| 2017 | J3 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 3 | ||
| 2018 | J3 | 27 | 6 | 27 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 74 | 12 | 74 | 12 | |||
4.3. Other official matches and appearance records
Naoya Senoo has also participated in various other official competitions and achieved significant career milestones:
- AFC Champions League: 0 appearances, 0 goals (2015, 2016, 2017 with Gamba Osaka)
- Prefectural Championships:
- Nagano Prefecture Soccer Championship: 1 appearance, 0 goals (2019)
- Tottori Prefecture Soccer Championship: 1 appearance, 1 goal (2022)
- Aomori Prefecture Soccer Championship: 2 appearances, 0 goals (2023, 2024)
- Appearance Records:
- First official appearance: October 7, 2015, Nabisco Cup semi-final 1st leg vs Albirex Niigata (Denka Big Swan Stadium)
- First J.League appearance: March 13, 2016, J3 League Matchday 1 vs Y.S.C.C. Yokohama (Suita City Football Stadium)
- First J.League goal: June 12, 2016, J3 League Matchday 12 vs Gainare Tottori (Torigin Bird Stadium)
5. Honors and achievements
5.1. Club honors
- Tsu Rapido FC
- All Japan Youth Futsal Tournament: 2008
- Gamba Osaka Youth
- Prince League Kansai 1st Division: 2012
- Gamba Osaka
- Emperor's Cup: 2015
- Japanese Super Cup: 2015
- AC Nagano Parceiro
- Nagano Prefecture Soccer Championship: 2019
- Gainare Tottori
- Tottori Prefecture Soccer Championship: 2022
- Vanraure Hachinohe
- Aomori Prefecture Soccer Championship: 2023, 2024
6. Personal life and other activities
Beyond his professional football career, Naoya Senoo is also involved in community initiatives. As of June 16, 2023, he serves as the Tohoku Town Support Ambassador, a role granted to him as part of Vanraure Hachinohe's club ambassador system, aimed at fostering connections with local communities.
7. See also
- List of Gamba Osaka players
- List of AC Nagano Parceiro players
- List of Gainare Tottori players
- List of Vanraure Hachinohe players
- List of people from Mie Prefecture
8. External links
- [https://data.j-league.or.jp/SFIX04/?player_id=12115 J.League Player Profile]
- [https://twitter.com/senoo0815 Naoya Senoo on Twitter]
- [https://www.instagram.com/senoo0815/ Naoya Senoo on Instagram]