Ko Itakura
Japanese footballer (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ko Itakura (板倉 滉, Itakura Kō; born 27 January 1997)[α] is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Japan national team.[3]
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Itakura with Ajax in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kō Itakura[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 1997[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajax | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2014 | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Kawasaki Frontale | 7 | (0) |
| 2015 | → J. League U-22 (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Vegalta Sendai (loan) | 24 | (3) |
| 2019–2022 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | → FC Groningen (loan) | 56 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | → Schalke 04 (loan) | 31 | (4) |
| 2022–2025 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 75 | (6) |
| 2025– | Ajax | 14 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Japan U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Japan U20 | 8 | (1) |
| 2018–2021 | Japan U23 | 24 | (6) |
| 2019– | Japan | 39 | (2) |
Medal record | |||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||
Known for his ball-playing ability, versatility, and defensive anticipation, Itakura began his career in the J1 League with Kawasaki Frontale before moving to Europe in 2019. After successful loan spells at FC Groningen and FC Schalke 04, he established himself in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach. In 2025, he became the first Japanese player in history to sign for Ajax.
Club career
Early career
Born in Yokohama, Itakura joined the youth academy of Kawasaki Frontale in 2006 at the primary school level. He progressed through the youth ranks, eventually making his senior debut on 6 August 2016 in a J1 League match against Ventforet Kofu, replacing Yu Kobayashi.[4] He was part of the squad that won the club's first-ever J1 League title in 2017, although his playing time was limited. To gain experience, he was loaned to Vegalta Sendai for the 2018 season, where he became a regular starter, scoring three goals in 24 league appearances and earning the "Tag Heuer Young Guns Award".[5]
Manchester City
In January 2019, Itakura signed for Premier League club Manchester City. He did not make a competitive appearance for the club, spending his entire contract duration on loan at other European clubs to secure a work permit and first-team football.[6]
Loan to FC Groningen
Immediately following his move to Manchester City, Itakura was loaned to Eredivisie side FC Groningen. He made his debut in the Dutch top flight during the 2019–20 season, quickly adapting to the technical demands of Dutch football. His loan was extended for the 2020–21 season, where he played every minute of the league campaign until suffering a minor injury late in the season. His performances, characterized by composure on the ball and defensive solidity, earned him the FC Groningen Player of the Year award for the 2020–21 season.[7]
Loan to Schalke 04
On 19 August 2021, Itakura joined 2. Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 on a season-long loan with an option to buy for approximately €5 million.[8] He became a key figure in Schalke's defense, making 31 league appearances and scoring four goals. He played a crucial role in the club's immediate return to the Bundesliga as champions. Despite his desire to stay and his popularity among the fans, Schalke announced in May 2022 that they could not exercise the purchase option due to financial reasons.[9]
Borussia Mönchengladbach
In July 2022, Itakura signed a four-year contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach. He made an immediate impact but suffered a rupture of the medial collateral ligament in his knee in September 2022, which sidelined him until just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[10] He returned to club action in January 2023.
In the 2023–24 season, Itakura took on a more senior role in the defense. On 19 August 2023, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 4–4 draw against FC Augsburg. Two weeks later, on 2 September, he scored a header against defending champions FC Bayern Munich, securing a 1–0 lead in a match that eventually ended 1–2.[11] His performances earned him the club's Player of the Month award for August 2023.[12] Despite persistent ankle issues requiring surgery in October 2023, he remained a vital starter when fit.
Ajax
On 7 August 2025, Ajax announced the signing of Itakura on a four-year contract, making him the first Japanese footballer to play for the club's first team.[13][14] The move marked his return to the Eredivisie after four years in Germany.
Itakura was integrated into the starting lineup for the 2025–26 season, utilized primarily as a ball-playing centre-back in Ajax's system, which prioritizes building from the back—a style suited to his technical profile developed at Kawasaki Frontale. He made his UEFA Champions League debut for Ajax on 17 September 2025.[15] By January 2026, he had established himself as a regular starter, contributing one goal in 14 league appearances.
International career
Itakura was selected for the senior Japan national football team for 2019 Copa América and made his debut on 20 June 2019 in the game against Uruguay, as a starter.[16][better source needed]
On March 29, 2021, he scored two goals against the Argentina national under-24 football team, and was also selected to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 4th place.[17]
In November 2022, he was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Japan National team for the first time.[18] Participated in all group stage matches and became the first Asian team to win first place in an overseas World Cup group league, contributing to advance to the final tournament for two consecutive tournaments. His long ball was the starting point of the come-from-behind goal against Germany. He was also named in the first group stage best eleven by Spanish Marca and Italian Sky Sport.[19] The former named him one of the players to double his value in the World Cup and described him as "the most consistent performance of the entire tournament".[20]
On March 28, 2023, he served as captain for the first time in the second match of the second term of Moriyasu Japan against Colombia.[21]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental[c] | Other[d] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2015 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | J1 League | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Vegalta Sendai (loan) | 2018 | J1 League | 24 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 3 | ||
| Manchester City | 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Groningen (loan) | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 23 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |||
| Total | 56 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 59 | 1 | ||||
| Schalke 04 (loan) | 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 32 | 4 | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 22 | 3 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 32 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 34 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 76 | 7 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | 81 | 8 | |||||
| Ajax | 2025–26 | Eredivisie | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 6[e] | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 209 | 17 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 248 | 19 | ||
- Includes Emperor's Cup, KNVB Cup, DFB-Pokal
- Includes J.League Cup
- Includes AFC Champions League
- Includes J1 League Championship, Eredivisie European play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
- As of match played 18 November 2025[26]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 2 | |
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.[26]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 May 2021 | Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan |  Myanmar | 10–0 | 10–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 19 November 2024 | Xiamen Egret Stadium, Xiamen, China |  China | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Notes
- His given name is sometimes spelled Kou, based on the kana spelling, or Kō, based on Hepburn romanization.
