1. Biography
Ryo Ishii's football career began in his hometown, progressing through local clubs and into prominent youth academies before turning professional.
1.1. Early Life and Youth Career
Ryo Ishii was born on July 11, 2000, in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He stands 75 in (191 cm) tall and weighs 187 lb (85 kg), with a right dominant foot. He began his youth football career with Takasaki Kita SC, attending Takasaki Kita Elementary School. He then moved to Joshu FC Takasaki, where he played during his time at Takasaki Daiichi Junior High School and Saitama Municipal Ohara Junior High School. From 2016 to 2018, Ishii developed his skills within the prestigious Urawa Reds Youth system while attending Saitama Prefectural Kawaguchi Higashi High School. In 2018, he was registered as a 2nd-class player for Urawa Reds, a designation that allows youth players to participate in top team activities.
2. Club Career
Ishii's professional career began with Urawa Reds, followed by several loan spells that provided him with valuable playing experience before his permanent transfer to his current club.
2.1. Professional Debut and Early Career
On December 10, 2018, it was officially announced that Ryo Ishii would be promoted to the Urawa Reds top team for the 2019 season. Although he had been registered as a 2nd-class player in 2018, he did not make any official appearances for the top team during that year. His professional J.League debut came on November 21, 2021, when he started in a J3 League match against Roasso Kumamoto at Egao Kenko Stadium, while on a developmental loan with Y.S.C.C. Yokohama.
2.2. Loan Spells and Transfers
In 2021, Ishii was sent on a developmental loan to Renofa Yamaguchi FC in the J2 League from January to July, though he did not make any appearances during this period. In July of the same year, he moved to Y.S.C.C. Yokohama in the J3 League on another developmental loan, which extended through the 2022 season. During his time with Y.S.C.C. Yokohama, Ishii made 3 appearances in the J3 League in 2021 and an additional 14 appearances in 2022.
2.3. Thespa Gunma
In 2023, Ryo Ishii made a permanent transfer to Thespa Gunma (formerly Thespa Kusatsu Gunma), a club based in his home prefecture. He has continued his career as a goalkeeper with the club, making 1 appearance in the J2 League in 2023 and 5 appearances in the J2 League, 2 appearances in the National Cup, and 1 appearance in the League Cup in 2024.
3. National Team Career
Ryo Ishii has also represented Japan at the youth international level. He was a member of the U-18 Japan National Team and participated in the Lisbon International Tournament U-18 in 2018.
4. Career Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of Ryo Ishii's club career statistics, including his appearances and goals in various leagues and domestic cup competitions.
4.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Urawa Reds | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Renofa Yamaguchi (loan) | 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| YSCC Yokohama (loan) | 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| Thespa Gunma | 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 26 | 0 | ||||||||||
5. Personal Life
Outside of his professional football career, Ryo Ishii has publicly stated that his hobby is fishing.