1. Life
Yugo Iiyama's early life was marked by his dedication to football from a young age, progressing through prominent youth systems before embarking on his professional career.
1.1. Birth and Childhood
Yugo Iiyama was born on March 6, 1986, in Koto, Tokyo, Japan. He began playing football at an early age, joining the youth system of FC Tokyo when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school.
1.2. Education
Following his youth career, Iiyama attended Fukuoka University, where he continued to play football for the university's team. During his fourth year at Fukuoka University, he served as the team's vice-captain, demonstrating his leadership qualities.
1.3. Youth and Amateur Career
Iiyama's formative years in football were spent extensively within the FC Tokyo youth system, which he was a part of for nine years. From 1991 to 1993, he played for Star Kickers. He then moved to Tokyo Gas FC Junior, playing from 1994 to 1997. His progression continued through Tokyo Gas FC Junior Youth and FC Tokyo U-15 from 1998 to 2000, and finally FC Tokyo U-18 from 2001 to 2003. During his time in the FC Tokyo youth setup, he played alongside notable contemporaries such as Jang-eun Oh, Yohei Kajiyama, Tadanari Lee, Jiro Kamata, Masaya Saito, and Kazuhiko Shingyoji. After graduating from FC Tokyo U-18, he joined the Fukuoka University football club in 2004, playing there until 2007.
2. Professional Career
Iiyama's professional career saw him play for several clubs across different divisions of Japanese football, primarily as a defender. He stands 69 in (176 cm) tall and weighs 159 lb (72 kg), playing with his right foot.
After graduating from Fukuoka University in 2008, Iiyama joined Thespakusatsu Challengers U-23, where he played until 2012. Following his departure from Thespakusatsu Challengers U-23, he initially retired from playing and transitioned into a coaching role with FC Tokyo in 2013. However, he returned to playing football in 2014, joining Tokyo 23 FC. In 2015, he moved to Grulla Morioka (now Iwate Grulla Morioka), where he played until 2016. His debut in the J3 League occurred on August 9, 2015, during the 25th matchday against Kataller Toyama at the Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium.
3. Personal Career Statistics
The following table details Yugo Iiyama's club performance throughout his professional career, including appearances and goals in various leagues and competitions.
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | Total | ||||||||
| 2008 | Thespakusatsu Challengers U-23 | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| 2009 | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| 2010 | Gunma Prefectural League 4th Division | - | - | ||||||||
| 2011 | Gunma Prefectural League 3rd Division | - | - | ||||||||
| 2012 | Gunma Prefectural League 2nd Division | - | - | ||||||||
| 2014 | Tokyo 23 FC | Kanto Soccer League 1st Division | - | ||||||||
| 2015 | Grulla Morioka | J3 League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | J3 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| J3 League Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Kanto Soccer League 1st Division Total | - | ||||||||||
| Gunma Prefectural League 2nd Division Total | - | ||||||||||
| Gunma Prefectural League 3rd Division Total | - | ||||||||||
| Gunma Prefectural League 4th Division Total | - | ||||||||||
| Career total | |||||||||||
4. Coaching Career
After his initial retirement from playing in 2012, Yugo Iiyama transitioned into football coaching. He served as a coach for Thespakusatsu U-15 Agatsuma. In 2013, he also took on a role as a school coach within the outreach department of FC Tokyo, his former youth club.