Satoru Yamagishi

1.1. Birth and Youth Career

Satoru Yamagishi was born on May 3, 1983, in Chiba City, Inage Ward, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He began his youth football career with Kaihin Eleven during his elementary school years, later joining the JEF United Ichihara junior youth team. During his time with the junior youth team, he experienced playing as a center forward. In his third year of junior high school, he contributed to his team winning the Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-15). He continued his development within the JEF United Ichihara youth system, playing as a forward, defensive midfielder, or winger in high school. In 2001, during his third year of high school, Yamagishi became the top scorer in the J.League Youth Championship. He graduated from Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School.

1.2. Playing Style and Strengths

Yamagishi is recognized for his adaptability, capable of playing in almost any wide position, including left and right midfielder, wing-back, and full-back. He also had previous experience playing as a center forward and attacking midfielder earlier in his career. His key attributes include an exceptional work rate and a tendency to make impactful runs off the ball to create goal-scoring opportunities. Yamagishi is right-footed and stands at 71 in ^{(181 cm)} tall, weighing 176 lb ^{(80 kg)}. He was affectionately known by nicknames such as "Yama" and "Aniki" (Elder Brother).

2.1. JEF United Chiba

Yamagishi joined the top team of JEF United Ichihara (later JEF United Chiba) in 2002, having progressed through their youth ranks. In 2003, under the management of Ivica Osim, he made his professional debut, starting as a right midfielder in the opening match of the season against Tokyo Verdy. He subsequently competed for a starting position on the right flank with Masataka Sakamoto. By 2005, with the departure of Shinji Murai, who had played on the left side, Yamagishi began to increase his appearances on the left flank.

In 2006, Yamagishi established himself as a regular starter, playing in every league match and scoring a personal best of 6 goals. He was also highly effective in the J.League Cup, scoring 4 goals in 5 appearances, significantly contributing to the club's back-to-back victories in the competition in 2005 and 2006. For not receiving any yellow cards in the league season, he was honored with the J.League Fair Play Award. Towards the end of 2007, despite a request from Chiba to remain, Yamagishi decided to move due to a lack of trust in the club's management.

2.2. Kawasaki Frontale

In 2008, Yamagishi transferred to Kawasaki Frontale, with an estimated transfer fee of 250.00 M JPY. Initially, he was deployed as a side-back, a role in which he struggled to perform effectively, despite appearing in 29 league matches. His opportunities to start gradually decreased. In 2009, he requested a conversion back to a side attacker position. However, competition from Renatinho and the emergence of rookie Kyohei Noborizato limited his appearances to just 16 league matches, and he failed to score any goals during this period.

2.3. Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Seeking more playing opportunities, Yamagishi joined Sanfrecce Hiroshima on a loan deal in 2010. During his time at Hiroshima, he became a regular starter, except for periods when he was sidelined due to injury, and scored his first goals in three years. In 2011, his move was made permanent. However, in 2012, he experienced health issues from May onwards and was later diagnosed with a right lower limb blood flow disorder in July, requiring him to be sidelined. Following his recovery, he competed for the left-sided midfield position with players such as Kohei Shimizu, Park Hyung-jin, and Yoshifumi Kashiwa, often being utilized in a rotation system. Towards the end of his tenure at Hiroshima, he faced persistent injuries, which significantly reduced his playing time.

Despite personal challenges, Yamagishi was part of the Sanfrecce Hiroshima squad that achieved significant success, winning the J1 League championships in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He also contributed to the team's victories in the Japanese Super Cup in 2013 and 2014. Notably, he established an impressive record of being unbeaten in 29 consecutive league matches where he scored (21 wins, 8 draws), a streak that began during his time at Chiba. His contract with Sanfrecce Hiroshima expired at the end of the 2015 season.

2.4. Oita Trinita and VONDS Ichihara

In 2016, Yamagishi made a permanent transfer to Oita Trinita, a club in the J3 League. This marked his first time playing in a division other than J1, a decision influenced by an offer from Tomohiro Katanosaka, who had previously coached him at Hiroshima. He served as the captain of Oita Trinita for two consecutive years, in both 2016 and 2017. During the 2016 season, he played 18 league matches, contributing to Oita Trinita's J3 League championship win and subsequent promotion to the J2 League. His performance in 2016 earned him a spot in the J3 League MY Awards Best Eleven. He departed Oita Trinita at the end of the 2017 season due to the expiration of his contract.

In 2018, Yamagishi joined VONDS Ichihara, a club in the Kanto League Division 1, marking a return to his hometown area. He continued playing for VONDS Ichihara until his retirement from professional football on January 21, 2021.

3.1. Youth National Team

In November 2003, Yamagishi was selected for the Japan U-20 national team to compete in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. During the tournament, he played in 2 matches, helping his team reach the quarter-finals.

3.2. Senior National Team

Yamagishi made his debut for the senior national team on October 4, 2006, in a friendly match against Ghana under coach Ivica Osim. He was part of the Japan squad for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals, where he played in two matches. Japan finished in fourth place in the competition. Yamagishi played a total of 11 matches for the Japan national team until 2008. His appearances for the national team ceased after Ivica Osim resigned as head coach.

4.1. Club Statistics

¹Includes Japanese Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and J.League Championship.

4.2. National Team Statistics

4.3. Appearances in Major Competitions

5.1. Club Honors

• JEF United Chiba
  • J.League Cup: 2005, 2006
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima
  • J1 League: 2012, 2013, 2015
  • Japanese Super Cup: 2013, 2014
• Oita Trinita
  • J3 League: 2016

5.2. Individual Honors

• J.League Youth Championship Top Scorer: 2001
• J.League Fair Play Award: 2006
• J3 League MY Awards Best Eleven: 2016