Ko Itakura (板倉 滉, Itakura Kō, born 27 January 1997) is a Japanese footballer who plays as center-back or defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Japan national team.[2]
![]() Itakura with Vegalta Sendai in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Ko Itakura | ||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 25) | ||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Yokohama, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Borussia Mönchengladbach | ||||||||||||||||||
Number | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
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– | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
2013 | Japan U-16 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
2015–2017 | Japan U-20 | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
2018–2021 | Japan U-23 | 24 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
2019– | Japan | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
Honours
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 September 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 June 2022 |
Born in Yokohama, Ko Itakura joined J1 League club Kawasaki Frontale in 2015, with which he won the 2017 Japanese championship.
He was loaned to Vegalta Sendai in 2018.
In January 2019, he joined Premier League club Manchester City and was immediately loaned to Eredivisie club Groningen, until the summer of 2020.[3] On 24 July 2020, his stay with Groningen was extended with one more year after both clubs agreed.[4]
On 19 August 2021, Itakura signed a season-long loan deal with 2. Bundesliga club Schalke 04 with an option to make the move permanent for £5 million.[5] At the end of the season, he was promoted to the Bundesliga with Schalke, but the club did not activate the option due to financial reasons.[6]
On 2 July 2022, he returned to Germany and signed permanently with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach on a €5,000,000 transfer fee.
In May 2017, Itakura was called up to the Japan U-20 national team for the 2017 U-20 World Cup. At this tournament, he played 2 matches as defensive midfielder.
He 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.[7]
Club | Season | League | National Cup[lower-alpha 1] | League Cup[lower-alpha 2] | Continental[lower-alpha 3] | Other[lower-alpha 4] | Total | |||||||
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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 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||
Career total | 123 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 151 | 9 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
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Japan | 2019 | 3 | 0 |
2020 | 1 | 0 | |
2021 | 1 | 1 | |
2022 | 7 | 0 | |
Total | 12 | 1 |
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1. | 28 May 2021 | Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan | ![]() | 10–0 | 10–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Kawasaki Frontale
Vegalta Sendai
Schalke 04
Individual
Borussia Mönchengladbach – current squad | |
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Japan squads | |||||||
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