Kōta Takai

Kōta Takai
高井 幸大
Personal information
Full name Kōta Takai[1]
Date of birth (2004-09-04) 4 September 2004[1]
Place of birth Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Tottenham Hotspur
Youth career
2009–2011 River FC
2011–2022 Kawasaki Frontale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2025 Kawasaki Frontale 60 (4)
2025– Tottenham Hotspur 0 (0)
International career‡
2019 Japan U15 1 (0)
2022–2023 Japan U20 1 (0)
2023–2024 Japan U23 7 (1)
2024– Japan 4 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Japan
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
2024 Qatar Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 July 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 June 2025 (UTC)

Kōta Takai (高井 幸大, Takai Kōta; born 4 September 2004) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Tottenham Hotspur and the Japan national team.

Club career

Kawasaki Frontale

Takai was promoted to the Kawasaki Frontale first team ahead of the 2022 season.[2] He made his debut in a 8–0 win over Guangzhou.[3]

Tottenham Hotspur

On 8 July 2025, Takai agreed to join Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on a deal until 2030.[4]

International career

Takai made his debut for Japan national team on 5 September 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against China at the Saitama Stadium 2002. He substituted Ko Itakura in the 71st minute of Japan's 7–0 victory.[5]

On 4 April 2024, Takai was called up to the Japan U23 squad for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.[6]

Career statistics

Club

As of 5 July 2025:[7]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kawasaki Frontale 2022 J1 League 0 0 — — 1[a] 0 — 1 0
2023 14 0 4 0 3 0 2[a] 0 — 23 0
2024 24 2 0 0 0 0 4[a] 0 1[b] 0 29 2
2025 22 2 0 0 0 0 6[a] 0 — 28 2
Total 60 4 4 0 3 0 13 0 1 0 81 4
Tottenham Hotspur 2025–26 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 60 4 4 0 3 0 13 0 1 0 81 4
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in the AFC Champions League Elite
  2. ^ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup

International

As of match played 10 June 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2024 1 0
2025 3 0
Total 4 0

Honours

Club

Kawasaki Frontale

International

Japan U23

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Japan (JPN)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ^ "高校2年生でトップ昇格。高井幸大はフロンターレの未来を担う" [Promoted to the top in the second year of high school. Kodai Takai will bear the future of Frontale]. note.com (in Japanese). 15 February 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. ^ "川崎F 17歳の大型CB高井幸大が大勝の広州戦でプロデビュー" [Kawasaki F 17-year-old large CB Kodai Takai makes his professional debut against Guangzhou in a big win]. news.yahoo.co.jp (in Japanese). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Kota Takai deal agreed". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  5. ^ "Japan vs England game report". ESPN. 5 September 2024.
  6. ^ "U-23日本代表 メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップ カタール2024" [U-23 Japan National Team Squad List (4.6-5.4 Qatar/Doha) AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024] (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  7. ^ Kōta Takai at Soccerway
  8. ^ "神戸vs川崎Fの試合結果・データ (Fujifilm Super Cup: 2024年2月17日)". J.League. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "【天皇杯・決勝速報】PK戦まで続く激闘の末、川崎フロンターレに軍配。柏レイソルは猛攻実らず惜敗". Football Channel. 9 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "ベストヤングプレーヤー賞はDF高井幸大に決定! 川崎F期待の20歳はリーグ戦24試合出場＆日本代表デビューも". Soccer King (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 December 2024.
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