Yoshida, who was born in Nagasaki, Japan, began playing football in his second year of elementary school at Nanling FC. Honami, Yoshida’s older brother, was instrumental in launching his football career when he searched the internet for Nagoya Grampus’s U-15 team, which led Yoshida to join the U-15 squad. Yoshida relocated to Nagoya to be closer to Nagoya Grampus and attended Toyota High School after joining.
2022 FIFA World Cup: Who is the captain of Japan?
Maya Yoshida is the captain of the Japanese national football team.
He was promoted to the first team in the 2007 season after spending five years at Nagoya Grampus Youth Academy and signing his first professional contract. Yoshida joined the club’s first-team training soon after and began as a defensive midfielder for Grampus’ youth team before being converted to a center-back.
Yoshida made his debut for the club on 3 May 2007, after months on the substitute bench, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 loss to Oita Trinita. He has since established himself as a first-team regular for the club, playing in the center-back position. Yoshida’s first Nagoya Grampus goal came on November 5, 2007, in a 3-1 win over The spa Kusatsu in the fourth round of the Emperor’s Cup. He finished the 2007 season with twenty-four appearances and one goal in all competitions.
