1. Early Life and Youth Career
Noriyuki Sakemoto was born in Gobō, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on September 8, 1984. q=Wakayama Prefecture|position=right His early football development began at the local level, playing for Gobō Kickman Jr. FC until 1996. He then continued his youth football journey at Kainan Third Junior High School from 1997 to 1999. For his high school career, Sakemoto attended Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School, playing for their football team from 2000 to 2002. During this period, he was selected as a member of the Kansai regional team, which led to him being scouted by Akio Kogiku, then a scout for Cerezo Osaka.
2. Club Career
Noriyuki Sakemoto's professional football career spanned from 2003 to 2021, primarily with two major clubs: Cerezo Osaka and Kagoshima United FC.
q=Osaka, Japan|position=right
2.1. Cerezo Osaka (2003-2018)
Sakemoto joined Cerezo Osaka in 2003, making his professional debut in the J1 League 2nd Stage, Matchday 10, against Gamba Osaka at Nagai Athletics Stadium on October 19, 2003. He quickly emerged as a promising player, though early in his career, disciplinary issues led to him being ordered to undergo training at a temple in 2005, preventing his participation in the club's preseason camp.
He scored his first J.League goal in a J1 match against Kashima Antlers on September 30, 2006, at Nagai Athletics Stadium. In the early part of the 2010 season, Sakemoto saw limited playing time, but in the latter half, he effectively filled the vacant right-back position due to an injury to Daisuke Takahashi. His performance was instrumental in helping Cerezo Osaka secure a berth in the AFC Champions League for the first time in the club's history. He remained with Cerezo Osaka for a remarkable 16 seasons, becoming the longest-serving player at the club from 2010 until his departure in 2018. During his tenure, he also made appearances for Cerezo Osaka U-23, the club's reserve team, in the J3 League.
2.2. Kagoshima United FC (2019-2021)
In 2019, Sakemoto transferred to Kagoshima United FC on a permanent deal, concluding his long spell at Cerezo Osaka. After joining Kagoshima United FC, he was increasingly deployed in a forward role. On July 25, 2020, at the age of 35, he achieved his first professional hat-trick in a J3 League match against Cerezo Osaka U-23, marking a significant milestone in his career. This performance contributed to him setting a new personal best of seven league goals in the season. He played for Kagoshima United FC until the end of the 2021 season.
3. National Team Career
Noriyuki Sakemoto represented Japan at the age-group level. He was part of the Japan U-21 national football team in 2005. During this period, he participated in the Toulon Tournament, an international football competition for youth national teams, gaining valuable international experience.
4. Playing Style and Positions
Noriyuki Sakemoto was renowned for his versatility, capable of playing in multiple positions across the pitch. He primarily operated as a defender, specifically a right-back, a role he excelled in, particularly during his time at Cerezo Osaka. However, he also frequently played as a midfielder. Later in his career, especially after joining Kagoshima United FC, he was often utilized as a forward. This adaptability allowed him to contribute significantly to his teams' offensive and defensive strategies, making him a valuable asset due to his ability to fill various roles as needed.
5. Career Statistics
The following table summarizes Noriyuki Sakemoto's professional club career statistics across various competitions.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | AFC Champions League | Total | ||||||||
| 2003 | Cerezo Osaka | J1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2005 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2006 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2007 | J2 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 3 | ||||
| 2008 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 3 | |||||
| 2009 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 47 | 1 | |||||
| 2010 | J1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2012 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 35 | 1 | ||||
| 2014 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | J2 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 2016 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 18 | 2 | |||||
| 2017 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | Kagoshima United FC | J2 | 40 | 2 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 2 | ||
| 2020 | J3 | 34 | 7 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 | ||||
| 2021 | 19 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||||
| J1 League Total | 153 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 222 | 4 | |||
| J2 League Total | 166 | 10 | 7 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 173 | 11 | ||||
| J3 League Total | 53 | 7 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 53 | 7 | |||||
| Career Total | 372 | 21 | 33 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 448 | 22 | |||
Noriyuki Sakemoto also played for Cerezo Osaka U-23, Cerezo Osaka's reserve team, in the J3 League:
| Club performance | League | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Japan | League | Total | |||||
| 2016 | C Osaka U-23 | J3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career Total | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
In addition to league and cup competitions, Sakemoto also participated in other official matches:
- In 2016, he played in 2 matches of the J1 Promotion Play-off, scoring 0 goals.
6. Honors
Noriyuki Sakemoto achieved several significant titles during his career, primarily with Cerezo Osaka.
;Cerezo Osaka
- J.League Cup: 2017
- Emperor's Cup: 2017
- FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP: 2018
7. Retirement
Noriyuki Sakemoto officially announced his retirement from professional football on October 22, 2021, at the conclusion of the 2021 season. This decision marked the end of an 18-year professional career that saw him become a respected figure in Japanese football. No specific post-retirement activities have been publicly announced.
8. Personal Life and Anecdotes
Beyond his professional career, Noriyuki Sakemoto has a few notable personal connections and anecdotes. He attended the same junior high school, Kainan Third Junior High School, as fellow professional footballers Yuichi Komano and Hitoshi Morishita. Sakemoto was known for his long tenure at Cerezo Osaka, serving as the team's most senior player by continuous service from 2010 until 2018. He is 69 in (175 cm) tall and weighs 143 lb (65 kg).