is a Japanese-born

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

. He is currently a youth coach with the

Reliance Foundation Young Champs Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) is a program spearheaded by Reliance Foundation, the non-profit and CSR arm of Reliance Industries. It focuses on promoting youth sports in India, particularly at the school and collegiate levels. Current ...

. Izumi began his professional career in Singapore with

Albirex Niigata Singapore Albirex Niigata Singapore FC, abbreviated as Albirex Niigata (S), is a Singaporean football club that plays in the Singapore Premier League. The club is a satellite team of Albirex Niigata of Japan. History Albirex Niigata Singapore, a satellite ...

and in his native Japan for

Mitsubishi Mizushima The is the first of a series of three-wheeler, three-wheeled pickup truck, cargo carriers made in Japan by Mitsubishi between 1947 and 1962. A number of prototypes were built in 1946, leading to series production beginning in May 1947. Along wi ...

before moving to India in 2006. He spent the first three years in India with

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

and

Mahindra United Mahindra United Football Club (formerly known as Mahindra & Mahindra) was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded in 1962, the club competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league system, befo ...

before spending six seasons with

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

. He then went on to play for

Atlético de Kolkata ATK (formerly Atlético de Kolkata) was an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club competed in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football and were the league champions during the inaugural 2 ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

Pune City Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

, and NEROCA. With NEROCA, Izumi helped the

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

i club earn promotion to the

I-League The I-League (known as Hero I-League for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp) is the second-tier men's professional football competition of the Indian football league system. It is currently contested by 12 clubs across the country with the w ...

. He then ended his career playing with the

Kerala Blasters Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established i ...

. Izumi also represented

at international level, giving away his Japanese passport in order to do so. Izumi played nine matches for India between 2013 and 2014.

Club career

Albirex Niigata Singapore

In 2005, Izumi started his professional football career with

of the

S.League The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which re ...

. Albirex Niigata Singapore was an affiliate of

Albirex Niigata is a professional football club based in Niigata, Japan. Formed in 1955 as Niigata Eleven SC, it was renamed Albireo Niigata FC in 1995, and Albirex Niigata in 1997. From 2023, Albirex will be playing on the J1 League, coming back to the fir ...

of the J.League. Arata grew a reputation for his speed while in the S.League. He scored his first professional goal of his career against

Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singapore football league system. Founded in 1945, the club have won the national league ...

in the S.League on 18 September 2005. He then scored his second goal of the season on 30 September 2005 against

Woodlands Wellington Woodlands Wellington Football Club is an inactive professional association football, football club which played in the S.League, the top division of football in Singapore. They are based in Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands at the 4,300 seater Woo ...

. Arata ended the season with 22 caps in S.League with 3 goals and 2 caps in the

Singapore Cup The Singapore Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Singaporean football. Established in 1998, it is the foremost football cup competition in the country. It is open to clubs in the Singapore Premier League. Since ...

scoring 1 goal.

Mitsubishi Mizushima

In 2006, after a successful season with Albirex Niigata Singapore in which the team finished 5th in the S.League, Arata moved back to Japan and signed for Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima of the

Japan Football League The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership am ...

. While with the team Arata also worked for

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.2006 season Izumi could not stop the club finishing in 17th place, 2nd the last that season.

East Bengal

In November 2006 Izumi signed for

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. At first he struggled to get accustomed to the Indian climate but eventually he found his way. He ended his maiden season with the club with 1 goal and 10 assists in 14 games.

Mahindra United

In 2007 Izumi signed for

of the

, which replaced the old National Football League. He began the 2007–08 I-League campaign with an injury that kept him out of football for six months. He managed to come back that season, scoring 1 goal and getting 2 assists in 8 games. The next season Izumi scored 1 goal and gained 5 assists in 16 I-League games. That season Arata and Mahindra won the

Durand Cup The Durand Football Tournament, commonly known as Durand Cup, is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Shimla. Hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and All India Football Federation ...

Pune

In 2009, Izumi signed for newly promoted I-League side

. Izumi has called his move to Pune as the turning point of his career. In 2010, he finished the season with a career high 10 goals and 10 assists in 26 games. He also scored an extra 6 goals in cup matches. He was the top goalscorer among all midfielders and was also nominated as the best midfielder in the I-League by goal.com. Izumi also won the Pune FC Man of Steel award from the club that season. Arata continued his good form for the club in 2010–11 scoring 6 goals and getting 9 assists in 24 games. On 22 October 2011 Izumi made his 50th appearance for the club in I-League in the opening match of the 2011–12 season against Shillong Lajong. On 24 August 2012 Izumi extended his contract by 2 years with Pune FC.

Atlético de Kolkata

In 2015 Izumi was drafted to Atlético Kolkata of the 2015 Indian Super League season. He started his campaign for the side with a goal against

FC Goa Football Club Goa is an Indian professional football club based in Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was established on 26 August 2014. Nicknamed as '' Gaurs'', the club plays their ho ...

in a high voltage 1-1 clash on 7 October. Six days latter on 13 October Izumi scored against

in 2–1 win which was witnessed by a home crowd of sixty thousand Kolkata fans and legendary

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, ...

Salt Lake Stadium The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK; ), commonly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium located in Bidhannagar, with current capacity of 85,000 spectators. Named after Swami Vivekananda, the stadium fo ...

. He returned after an injury almost a month latter and produced a match winning performance against

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

, coming off the bench and scoring twice on 84th and 90+3 minutes with his team winning the match 3–2. His last goal came in a 2–3 defeat on 14 December against Mumbai City FC at

on the final match of the group stage.

NEROCA

In January 2017, after playing with

, Izumi signed with

I-League 2nd Division I-League 2, previously known as I-League 2nd Division and officially known as or Hero I-League 2 (for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp), is an Indian men's professional football league. It is the 3rd tier of Indian football, behind Indian ...

side NEROCA.

Kerala Blasters

On 23 July 2017, Izumi was selected in the 6th round of the 2017–18 ISL Players Draft by the

for the

2017–18 Indian Super League season The 2017–18 Indian Super League season was the fourth season of the Indian Super League, one of the top Indian professional association football, football leagues. It was established in 2013. The regular season started on 17 November 2017 and ...

. He made his debut for the club during their opening match of the season on 17 November 2017 against ATK. He started and played the whole match as Kerala Blasters drew 0–0. At the end of the season, Izumi announced his retirement from professional football on 18 July 2018.

Style of play

As player he can play anywhere on midfield and also as a

False 9 Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

. Mostly Izumi likes to operate behind the striker or as a playmaker but also can play in as winger for his crossing abilities. Although, he has been criticized sometimes for lack of consistency throughout his career.

International career

On 24 August 2012, Izumi gained Indian citizenship, thus making him eligible to play for

at the international level. Then on 29 January 2013 it was confirmed that Izumi had been called up to

Wim Koevermans Wilhelmus ("Wim") Jacobus Koevermans (born 28 June 1960 in Vlaardingen, South Holland), a former football central defender from The Netherlands, who earned one cap for the Netherlands national football team. He was a member of the Dutch team that ...

side for the friendly against

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

. Izumi then made his international debut in that match when he came on in the 64th minute for

Lenny Rodrigues Lenny Rodrigues (born 10 May 1987) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Goa in the Indian Super League. Career Early career Born in Cortalim, Goa, began to develop a passion for football when his grandfa ...

as India went on to lose the match 4–2. Since then Izumi has also been called up to India's

2014 AFC Challenge Cup The 2014 AFC Challenge Cup was the fifth and the final edition of the AFC Challenge Cup, an international football competition for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member nations that are mainly categorized as "emerging countries" in the now de ...

qualification squad and their

2013 SAFF Championship The 2013 South Asian Football Federation Championship, commonly referred to as 2013 SAFF Championship, was the 10th SAFF Championship for men's national football teams organized by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The tournament took ...

squad.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Izumi took up the role of youth coach with the

, the youth academy division for the

Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...

Personal life

Arata was born to Akiko Izumi, a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

mother and Narendra Khambholja, a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

father. On 24 August 2012, it was officially announced by his club, Pune FC, that he has received Indian citizenship from the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. Izumi also holds an Indian name, Neelkanth Khambholja.

Career statistics

Club

Honours

India *

SAFF Championship The South Asian Football Federation Championship, commonly known as SAFF Championship (previously known as ''South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup'' and ''South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup''), is the main international ...

runner-up:

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

East Bengal *

Indian Super Cup AIFF Super Cup, also called the Super Cup or Hero Super Cup (for sponsorship ties), is an annual knockout football competition in Indian football. It is organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Competition is open to the clubs ...

: 2006 *

Calcutta Football League The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of West Bengal, organised by Indian Football Association (WB), under state football leagues in India. Due to sponsorship reasons, the league is off ...

: 2006 Mahindra United *

IFA Shield The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organized by the Indian Football Association. The IFA is the governing body of football in the state of West Bengal, came into existence in 1893. Named after the association, the IFA Shield tourn ...

: 2008 *

Mumbai Football League The Mumbai Football League, also known as the Harwood League, is organised by Mumbai Football Association (MFA) as a ladder-based competition involving a total of five divisions and over 300 teams. It is the top football league in Mumbai and ...

: 2007–08, 2008–09 Pune *

runner-up:

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

; third place: 2009–10 *

runner-up:

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

* Bhutan King's Cup runner-up:

References

External links

* * *
Indian Super League Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Izumi, Arata 1982 births Living people People from Shimonoseki Indian footballers Japanese footballers India men's international footballers Indian expatriate footballers Japanese expatriate footballers Japanese people of Indian descent Japanese emigrants to India People with acquired Indian citizenship Indian people of Japanese descent Singapore Premier League players Albirex Niigata Singapore FC players Expatriate footballers in Singapore Men's association football midfielders East Bengal Club players Pune FC players FC Pune City players NEROCA FC players Kerala Blasters FC players Indian Super League players I-League 2nd Division players I-League players Mahindra United FC players

Club career

Albirex Niigata Singapore

Mitsubishi Mizushima

East Bengal

Mahindra United

Pune

Atlético de Kolkata

NEROCA

Kerala Blasters

Style of play

International career

Coaching career

Personal life

Career statistics

Club

Honours

See also

References

Further reading

External links