1. Overview
Ryo Fukudome (福留 亮Fukudome RyoJapanese, born June 26, 1978) is a former Japanese football player who played as a forward. His professional career, primarily spent in the J.League, spanned from 1997 to 2002. This article outlines his early life, youth development in football, professional club career, and provides his detailed club statistics.
2. Life and Career
Ryo Fukudome's journey in football began in his hometown of Kumamoto Prefecture, progressing through various youth levels before reaching the professional ranks of the J1 League and J2 League with Kyoto Sanga FC and Sagan Tosu, respectively, until his retirement in 2002.
2.1. Early Life and Youth Career
Ryo Fukudome was born on June 26, 1978, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He stands at 69 in (174 cm) tall and weighs 146 lb (66 kg). During his youth, he attended Kumamoto Municipal Nishikigaoka Junior High School and later Kumamoto Prefectural Otsu High School from 1994 to 1996, where he actively participated in youth football.
2.2. Professional Career
After graduating from high school, Fukudome began his professional career in 1997, joining Kyoto Purple Sanga, a club in the top-tier J1 League. Although he was part of the squad for two seasons (1997 and 1998), he did not make any official appearances during his tenure with the club.
In 1999, Fukudome moved to Sagan Tosu, a club newly promoted to the J2 League. He joined alongside fellow player Haruhiko Sato. At Sagan Tosu, Fukudome established himself as a forward, playing in many matches until 2001. His J.League debut occurred on March 14, 1999, in a J2 League match against FC Tokyo at National Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium. He scored his first J.League goal a week later, on March 21, 1999, in a J2 League match against Ventforet Kofu at Tosu Stadium. Despite his earlier contributions, Fukudome did not make any appearances in the 2002 season and subsequently retired from professional football at the end of that year.
3. Club Statistics
Ryo Fukudome's career statistics for his professional club appearances are detailed in the table below.
| 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 | ||||||
| 1997 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | Sagan Tosu | J2 League | 26 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 7 |
| 2000 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| 2001 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 60 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 68 | 10 | ||