Takumi Minamino

At 29 years old, Takumi Minamino has this physical status:

Takumi Minamino (born 16 January 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as either an attacking midfielder or winger for Austrian club FC Red Bull Salzburg and the Japan national team.

Early life

Minamino was born in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. He competed for Sessel Kumatori, the local team, while attending elementary school. As he grew up, he was inspired by Brazilian striker Ronaldo's finishing and dribbling, who was the top scorer at the 2002 World Cup, which Japan co-hosted when Minamino was seven years old. He will watch videos of Ronaldo's feints and then go outside to practice. He was also inspired by his older brother Kenta and their dad's cones to dribble in and out of a car park. He attended Osaka-Kokoku High School. Minamino called himself a "active boy" growing up.

Personal life

Minamino obtained a sponsorship with Adidas in October 2013.

Minamino held Guinness World Records for top fives in a minute while running at the Komagawa Shopping Street for 187 times, setting the new world record. Since heading to Red Bull Salzburg, he has spoken Japanese in addition to Japanese.

Minamino's nickname is affectionately referred to as "Taki" by his teammates, derived from first name Takumi.

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Club career

Minamino joined the Cerezo Osaka youth team at the age of 12 and progressed through the academy. While studying with them at the Cerezo academy, players such as Shinji Kagawa were in the first team, and Minamino would watch them up close and train with them. "At Cerezo Youth, the current physical coach of the top team, was the coach during my time in the youth team," Minamino said of the club's youth team in 2014.

Minamino was a participant of Japan's U15 Club Youth Soccer Championship Tournament in August 2009 and aided the Cerezo Osaka's U15 team, finishing eighth place in the quarter-finals after being disqualified. Despite this, he was the top scorer of the tournament, scoring eight times. Minamino helped Cerezo Osaka's U15 team finish at the top of the Prince League Kansai and at one point, scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 victory over Kobe City Science and Technology High School on April 11, 2010. He began playing for Cerezo Osaka U18s in 2011 when the team competed in the Takamadomiya Cup JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League. Minamino finished in fourth place as one of the top scorers in the tournament, scoring nine times. Minamino was also instrumental in the J Youth Cup's final. They lost 3-1 against Nagoya Grampus U18; but, they did finish as the tournament's top scorer, scoring thirteen times.

Minamino was named to the first team in August 2012 after two years of living in Cerezo Osaka's youth system. He didn't appear in Cerezo's first team debut until November 17, 2012, when he started as a replacement for Takuma Edamura in a 3–1 loss to Omiya Ardija. In a 2–2 draw against Kawasaki Frontale in the team's last game of the season, Minamino made his first appearance for the team, playing the whole game. In a 4–0 victory over Shimizu S-Pulse in the Emperor's Cup's fourth round on December 15, he scored his first Cerezo goal. Minamino made five appearances and scoring once in all sports during the 2012 season.

He joined the first team in 2013 and was given the number thirteen shirt ahead of the new season. Minamino was the first player from the club's youth system to play in the first game of the season against Albirex Niigata, which Cerezo Osaka defeated 1–0. His employment status was changed to professional A shortly after, after meeting the requirement to play enough games this season. In a 2–1 victory over Oita Trinita in the Emperor's Cup, Minamino continued to perform well throughout March, despite two assists in the next two league matches before scoring his first goal of the season. Minamino scored two more goals in the Emperor's Cup before being disqualified by Urawa Red Diamonds in the quarter-finals, where he scored in the second leg. Cerezo Osaka scored his first J.League Division 1 goal against Jwata on July 7, 2013, becoming the youngest goal scorer for the club six days after the club's elimination in the Emperor's Cup. "He sent a 20-yard piledriver into the top of the field, giving opposition goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard no chance at all." Minamino scored in a friendly match against Manchester United on Friday, three weeks later. Manchester United players and Manager David Moyes lauded his contribution after the match. However, he sustained a medial collateral ligament injury on his left knee during a match against Shimizu S-Pulse on August 19th, and was sidelined for six weeks. Minamino's first team return in a 2–0 win over Jbilo Iwata on September 28, 2013. In a 2–0 victory over Oita Trinita, he scored in a following match. Minamino scored three more goals later this season, including a brace against Urawa Red Diamonds in the last game of the season. He made 38 appearances and scored 8 goals in all competitions at the end of the 2013 season. Minamino won the 2013 J league best newcomer award, including Takashi Usami (2010), Hiroki Sakai (2011), and Gaku Shibasaki (2012). He has also signed a new deal with the club.

Minamino made his AFC Champions League debut against the Pohang Steelers in a 1–1 draw at the start of the 2014 season. In a 4–0 win over Buriram United three weeks later, he scored his first goals of the AFC Champions League in March 18, 2014. In contrast, he received a straight red card in the 41st minute against Pohang Steelers in a 2–0 loss. Minamino's first goal in four months was not until Tuesday, July 11, 2014, when he defeated Veertien Mie in the second round of the Emperor's Cup. However, he was later dismissed for a professional foul after a match against Kawasaki Frontale on July 15, 2014, when the teams lost 3-1. Minamino apologised on Twitter for his conduct that had him suspended after the game. Minamino's performance during a 0–0 draw against Ventforet Kofu on July 23, 2014, when he struggled to defend despite being on the left-wing side, prompting the apology on his Twitter account once more. In a 5–4 loss to Kawasaki Frontale a month later, he scored his first league goal of the season on August 16th. Minamino scored his second league goal of the season in a 2–1 loss against Vissel Kobe on August 30, 2014. He went on a goalscoring spree between September 3rd and August 2014, scoring against Kawasaki Frontfale in both legs of the J.League Cup and against Jbilo Iwata in the Emperor's Cup. However, his second and last season were much more difficult, with the club eventually being relegated. In all competitions, he had made 42 appearances and scored 8 times by the end of the 2014 season. He made 62 J.League Division 1 appearances for Cerezo Osaka, scoring 7 goals in total, total. Following this, Minamino was linked with a departure from the club as a number of European clubs were keen on signing him.

Red Bull Salzburg followed him for a year and a half before he signed him on January 7th, 2015, on a long-served contract with the option of a new year. Cerezo Osaka confirmed the transfer shortly after.

Minamino played in a right-wing role before being called back in the 64th minute after losing in a 2–0 victory over Wiener Neustadt on February 13, 2015. After missing two games due to a strain on his adductor muscle, he returned from injury to make his European debut on February 26, 2015, defeating Villarreal in the first half of the UEFA Europa League's second leg before being drafted by Felipe Pires. In a 4–1 victory over Admira Wacker Mödling on March 4, Minamino scored his first goals for Red Bull Salzburg and set up the club's fourth goal of the season. In a 3–0 win over SV Grödig on May 2nd, he scored his first goal of the season. Minamino won the league for the first time in his Red Bull Salzburg career. He was selected in the Austrian Cup final, defeating Austria Wien 2–0. Minamino made 14 appearances and scoring 3 times in all competitions at the end of the 2014-2015 season. He quickly established himself in the starting eleven for the club during the season, playing in the midfield position.

Minamino had a good start to the season in a 7-0 win over Deutschlandsberger SC in the first round of the Austrian Cup, which was his first goal of the season. Sturm Graz scored five goals in August, including a brace against SV Ried, Dinamo Minsk in the UEFA Europa League tournament and Sturm Graz. Minamino scored a brace against SV Grödig on September 12, 2015, a 4–2 win over the club's fourth goal of the season. He then scored two goals in two matches against Rapid Wien and FC Admira Wacker Mödling on October 4, 2015. Nevertheless, Minamino suffered with a goal drought for the next four months, and it was finally ended on Sunday, when he scored in a 4–1 victory over Austria Wien. In the 2015–16 season, he scored two more goals. Minamino was able to win the league for the second time in his Red Bull Salzburg career. He appeared as a replacement in the second half of the Austrian Cup a dozen days after leading the team to victory in the league. Minamino made 40 appearances and scoring 13 times in all competitions as a result of the 2015-2016 season.

Minamino scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 victory over Vorwärts Steyr in the first round of the Austrian Cup at the start of the season. On his return to the FC Red Bull Salzburg in a 3–1 victory over SV Mattersburg, he scored on his return from abroad on August 20, 2016. In a 4–0 victory over FC Admira Wacker Mödling two weeks later, Minamino scored a brace. He later scored three more goals, including another brace against Wolfsberger AC on December 17, 2016. Minamino's first hat-trick of his Red Bull Salzburg career came two months later in a 6–1 victory over SV Ried on February 19, 2017. He was instrumental in a 5–0 victory over FC Admira Wacker Mödling to advance to the final of the Austrian Cup. Minamino was both in and out of the starting lineup during the 2016–17 season, as he was mainly placed on the reserve bench. Despite this, he was able to help the team win both Austrian Cup and the league for the third time in his Red Bull Salzburg career. Minamino made 31 appearances and scored 14 times in all competitions during the 2016-2017 season. He began playing in the striker role early in the season.

Minamino started the season off right by scoring three goals in three separate competitions against Hibernians, Deutschlandsberger SC, and Wolfsberger AC. Minamino suffered a ligament tear and was suspended in the 40th minute during a 5–1 victory over St. Pölten on August 20, 2017, marking the club's first game of the season; as a result, he was out for six weeks. He didn't appear in a 3–1 victory over LASK until October 14, 2017, arriving late as a late replacement. Minamino then scored his first goals in three months in a 3–1 win over St. Pölten on November 5, 2017 and three weeks later in a 2–0 victory over SV Mattersburg. Minamino signed a January contract extension with the club, extending him until 2021. He later scored three more league goals for the team, including a brace against Austria Wien on March 18, 2018. Minamino won the league for the fourth time in his Red Bull Salzburg career. Salzburg had their best ever European campaign in 2017--18 as they finished first in Europe's top league group for the first time, before defeating Real Sociedad, Borussia Dortmund, and Lazio (in which he scored two goals in the knockout stage against Real Sociedad and Lazio), arguably their first appearance in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. He appeared in the Europa League semi-finals on May 3rd as Olympique de Marseille lost by 1–2 away but gained a spot in the UEFA Europa League Final, but won by 3–2 aggregate on May 3rd. Minamino had made 44 appearances and scored 11 goals in all competitions by the end of the 2017-2018-18 season.

Minamino made his first appearance of the season in a 3–1 victory over LASK in the first game of the season, having missed the start of the 2018–19 season due to a hamstring injury. He hadn't scored his first goal of the season until August 14, 2018 in a 1–0 victory over KF Shkondija in the UEFA Champions League Qualification Round, where the team advanced to the next round. Minamino also scored three more goals by the end of September. In a 3–1 victory over Celtic on October 4, 2018, he scored his first European goal of the season. Minamino had his first-half hat-trick in a 5–2 victory over Rosenborg in a 2018–19 UEFA Europa League Group B match on November 8th. He was selected in the UEFA Europa League Team of the Week following the match. In a 2–0 win over Austria Wien, the players were followed by scoring three days later on November 11, 2018. Minamino had scored eleven goals in leagues for the team by the end of 2018. He went three months without scoring, but this came as he scored and set up a goal for Mu'nas Dabbur's second goal and he went on to win a hat-trick in a 5–1 victory over Austria Wien on 31 March 2019. Minamino scored two more goals in the Austrian Cup final last month, including one against Grazer AK, which saw Red Bull Salzburg advance to the Austrian Cup final. For the fifth time in his Red Bull Salzburg career, he helped the team win the league for the fifth time in his Red Bull Salzburg career. Despite being on the bench for the Austrian Cup final, the club defeated Rapid Wien 2–0. Minamino had made 45 appearances and scored 14 goals in all competitions by the end of the 2018-19 season. He continued to play in various positions in the attack throughout the 2018-19 season.

Minamino started the season off right by going on a scoring spree, resulting in him scoring four goals. He was involved in a 6–2 win over Genk in a UEFA Champions League match. Minamino scored two more goals in an Austrian Cup and UEFA Champions League match against Rapid Wien and Liverpool respectively over the past two weeks. He later scored two goals in two matches against St. Pölten and Genk between the 23 November 2019 and the 27 November 2019. In a 5–1 victory over WSG Swarovski Tirol on December 7, 2019, Minamino scored his ninth goal of the season, marking the team's last game for the team.

After triggering his £7.25 million release clause in December 2019, Liverpool agreed to a January 2020 transfer for Minamino from Salzburg, making him the first Japanese player to play for the club. "The big clubs have been following him," Salzburg's sports director Christoph Freund said, and if I were them, I'd have no hesitation to sign him." Takumi is gearing up for the next move in January. He had his Liverpool medical on file for his January 2020 transfer to the team, which was scheduled on December 18, 2019.

Minamino made his Liverpool debut in the club's FA Cup victory over Everton, as well as his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first half on January 23. Minamino started as a replacement, replacing Neco Williams, and scored his first goal for Liverpool in the 73rd minute and then scored his fourth penalty against Arsenal in the 2020 FA Community Shield. Minamino scored the opener in a 7-0 away victory over Crystal Palace on December 19th, his first league goal for Liverpool.

Minamino signed for Southampton on loan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season on February 1st, 2021. Minamino scored on his debut for the Saints five days later in a 2–3 away league loss to Newcastle United. In the Premier League, he appeared ten times for Saints until the season's end. For the 2021–22 season, he returned to Liverpool for the 2021–22 season.

Minamino scored his first goal at Anfield for Liverpool on November 20, 2021, beating Arsenal 4–0 at home. In the EFL Cup, Minamino scored the last-minute equalizer against Leicester City on December 22nd. The match came to a penalty shoot-out, and although Minamino missed his penalty, Liverpool defeated Liverpool 5–4 on penalties. Minamino was an ineffective substitute as Liverpool progressed to victory by defeating Chelsea 10–11 on penalties in the final on Saturday, with the match ending 0–0 after extra time.

Minamino beat Cardiff City 3–1 in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday, with two goals in the fifth round taking Liverpool to the quarter-finals on Sunday. Liverpool continued to win the competition on May 15 by defeating Chelsea in the final, which resulted in a 0–0 draw after extra time and Liverpool's 5–6 victory in the penalty shoot-out, although Minamino was not included in Liverpool's matchday squad.

Monaco reported on June 28th that Minamino had signed a four-year deal until June 2026, worth a predetermined €15 million (£12.9 million) and €2.6 million (£2.6 million) in add-ons.

International career

Minamino had previously served on the Japanese U15 and U16 teams. He had been called up for the AFC U-16 Championship tournament while playing for Japan U16 at one point. Minamino helped the team win three times in the Group stage, including a brace against Vietnam U16. In the quarter-finals, he scored in a 3–1 victory over Iraq U16. However, Japan U16 were disqualified in the semi-finals against North Korea U16, who lost 2–1, which culminated in Minamino scoring the national team's only goal of the match. Despite this, he finished as the tournament's top scorer, alongside Timur Khakimov.

Minamino was selected for the Japan U-17 national team in June 2011 for the 2011 U-17 World Cup in June 2011. He appeared in four matches and scored a goal against New Zealand U17.

Minamino was called up by Japan U19 for the AFC U-19 Championship in October 2014, prompting him to drop from Cerezo Osaka's first team for three matches. In a 2–1 loss to China U19, he scored the first goal in Matchday One of the Group Stage. In a 2–1 victory over South Korea U19 that saw them through to the knockout stage, Minamino later scored two more goals in Matchday Three of the Group Stage. However, Minamino scored an equalizer from a penalty, causing the game to be extended and penalty shoot-out, prompting North Korea U19 to win by a point. Despite this, Minamino scored four goals in the tournament.

Minamino was called up by Japan U23 in Qatar in January 2016 for the AFC U-23 Championship. After beating Iraq U23 2–1 in the semi-finals, he was in charge of all the matches in the tournament and helped Japan U23 reach the final. However, Minamino was not included in the final against South Korea because he was brought back to the first team by Red Bull Salzburg, winning the tournament for the first time after losing 3–2 in the tournament.

Minamino was selected in the Japan squad for the preliminary 30-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in May 2014. However, he was unable to make the cut.

In a 1–1 draw, Minamino made his debut for Japan's national team in a friendly against Iran on October 13, 2015, and was back as a replacement in the 87th minute. He made his second appearance for Japan in the FIFA World Cup qualification against Cambodia in the 86th minute, defeating him as a substitute. For the first time in three years, Minamino was called up from the senior national team. In a 3–0 victory over Costa Rica on September 11, he scored his first Japan goal. Ahead of scoring against Panama and a brace against Uruguay were the two following events.

Minamino was one of 23 Japanese players selected for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in December 2018. He made his Asian Cup debut against Turkmenistan in January 2019, giving him an assist. Minamino was Japan's star in the semi-finals against Iran, as he helped twice and gave his team a penalty, which was successfully converted by Yuya Osako. In the final against Qatar, he scored his first Asian Cup goal, but the team lost 3-1. Minamino made six appearances in the tournament. Minamino led to five more goals by the end of 2019.

Minamino was selected for the Japan U-23 national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in August 2016. He appeared in all three games and scored a goal against Nigeria.

When he converted a penalty against Panama against Panama in November 20, he scored his only goal of the game.

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