Rei Hirakawa

1. Overview

Rei Hirakawa (平川怜_{Hirakawa Rei}^Japanese, born April 20, 2000) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tokyo Verdy. Born in Chofu, Tokyo, he stands at 69 in ^{(176 cm)} tall and weighs 159 lb ^{(72 kg)}, primarily using his right foot. He is known by the nickname "Rei".

2. Early Life and Background

Hirakawa began his football journey at Uenohara SC in his hometown of Chofu, Tokyo. He then progressed through the youth ranks of FC Tokyo, joining FC Tokyo U-15 Musashi before being promoted to FC Tokyo U-18. During his first year in the U-18 team, he established himself as a regular starter. He played a crucial role in FC Tokyo U-18 winning two major youth titles: the Japan Club Youth Football Championship (U-18) and the J.League Youth Championship in 2016.

His talent was recognized early, leading to his registration as a Type 2 player for the FC Tokyo senior team. This allowed him to gain experience by playing for the FC Tokyo U-23 team in the J3 League. In his second year with the U-18 team, he continued to be a central figure, contributing to another Club Youth Championship title in 2017. Throughout this period, he balanced his commitments between the U-18 and U-23 teams, steadily developing his skills.

3. Professional Career

Rei Hirakawa's professional career began with FC Tokyo, where he advanced from their youth academy to the senior team. His career has seen him play for several clubs across Japan's professional leagues, including loan spells and permanent transfers, culminating in his current tenure with Tokyo Verdy.

3.1. FC Tokyo

Hirakawa officially signed a professional contract with FC Tokyo on November 1, 2017. His professional debut had already occurred earlier, on October 30, 2016, when he played for FC Tokyo U-23 in the J3 League against SC Sagamihara at Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka. He scored his first professional goal in the J3 League on November 11, 2017, against Fujieda MYFC at Koto-ku Yumenoshima Stadium.

His J1 League debut came shortly after, on November 18, 2017, when he made a substitute appearance against Sagan Tosu. At 17 years and 215 days old, he became the youngest Japanese player to debut in the J1 League for FC Tokyo. He continued to be part of the FC Tokyo squad until August 2022, with several appearances for both the main team and the U-23 side.

3.2. Loan Spells

To gain more first-team experience, Hirakawa was sent on two developmental loan spells. On July 17, 2019, he joined Kagoshima United FC on loan. He played 7 matches for them in the J2 League before returning to FC Tokyo at the end of the season. In 2021, he was again loaned out, this time to Matsumoto Yamaga FC, where he made 19 appearances in the J2 League. After his loan spell concluded, he returned to FC Tokyo.

3.3. Roasso Kumamoto

In August 2022, Rei Hirakawa made a permanent move to Roasso Kumamoto. He quickly established himself as a key player for the club. In 2023, his leadership qualities were recognized when he was appointed captain of Roasso Kumamoto. His impressive performances throughout the 2023 season led to his selection for the J2 League Best XI. During his time with Roasso Kumamoto, he made 52 league appearances, scoring 9 goals, and played a significant role in their campaign, including appearances in the J1/J2 play-offs.

U-15 Japan National Team:** Participated in the Japan-Central Asia U-15 Exchange Tournament and the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers, both in 2015.
U-16 Japan National Team:** Played in the U-16 International Dream Cup, the AFC U-16 Championship, and COPA UC, all in 2016.
U-17 Japan National Team:** Featured in the Sanix Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament (2016), International Youth Soccer in Niigata (2017), and the 24th Václav Ježek International Youth Tournament (2017). He was also selected for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017, where he started in 3 matches. Japan's campaign ended in the first knockout round after a penalty shootout loss to the U-17 England national team.
U-18 Japan National Team:** Took part in the 24th Lisbon International Tournament U-18 in 2018.
U-19 Japan National Team:** Joined expeditions to Mexico and Brazil in 2018.
U-20 Japan National Team:** Participated in a European expedition in 2019.

5. Honours

Rei Hirakawa has received several accolades throughout his career, both at the club youth level and individually.

5.1. Club Honours

FC Tokyo U-18:**
- Japan Club Youth Football Championship (U-18): 2016, 2017
- J.League Youth Championship: 2016
- Japan Club Youth Football Championship (U-18) Kanto Tournament: 2017

5.2. Individual Honours

J2 League Best XI: 2023

6. Career Statistics

As of the end of the 2024 season, Rei Hirakawa's career statistics are as follows:

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J. League Cup		Other		Total
FC Tokyo U-23	2016	J3 League	2	0	-		-		-		2	0
	2017	J3 League	17	1	-		-		-		17	1
	2018	J3 League	21	2	-		-		-		21	2
	2019	J3 League	13	0	-		-		-		13	0
Total		53	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	53	3
FC Tokyo	2017	J1 League	1	0	0	0	0	0	-		1	0
	2018	J1 League	1	0	1	0	0	0	-		2	0
	2019	J1 League	1	0	0	0	4	0	-		5	0
	2020	J1 League	3	0	0	0	0	0	-		3	0
	2022	J1 League	0	0	0	0	4	0	-		4	0
	Total		6	0	1	0	8	0	0	0	15	0
Kagoshima United (loan)	2019	J2 League	7	0	0	0	-		-		7	0
Matsumoto Yamaga (loan)	2021	J2 League	19	0	1	0	-		-		20	0
Roasso Kumamoto	2022	J2 League	11	2	0	0	-		3	0	14	2
	2023	J2 League	41	7	5	2	-		-		46	9
	Total		52	9	5	2	0	0	3	0	60	11
Júbilo Iwata	2024	J1 League	26	0	0	0	0	0	-		26	0
Tokyo Verdy	2025	J1 League	0	0	0	0	0	0	-		0	0
Career total			163	12	7	2	8	0	3	0	181	14

J.League debut: October 30, 2016, J3 League Matchday 27, against SC Sagamihara (Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka)
J.League first goal: November 11, 2017, J3 League Matchday 31, against Fujieda MYFC (Koto-ku Yumenoshima Stadium)
"Other" column includes appearances in J1/J2 play-offs.