is a Japanese 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 ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

. He played for

Ehime FC is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. After winning the JFL championship in 2005, the club now plays in . History The club was founded in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club and renamed ...

and

Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to st ...

before retiring at the end of the 2022 season aged 25.

Career

Kato began his career at

Nagoya Grampus (formerly known as ) is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939, the c ...

, appearing for both their U-15 and U-18 academies. He then went on to study at

Meiji University , abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...

between 2016 and 2019 – helping them win the 2019 Japan College Prime Ministers Cup in a 2–1 victory over

Hosei University is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan. The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha (, i.e. Tokyo association of law), established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō (, i.e. Tokyo school of law ...

. In November 2019, it was announced that Kato would be joining

J2 League The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yas ...

team

for the 2020 season. He made his professional debut in September 2020 in a league victory over

Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of football in the country. Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated clubs in the J.League, with ...

, keeping a clean sheet in their 1–0 win. He went on to play a further three times in the 2020 season. In April 2021, he moved on loan to

J1 League The , known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the system. Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J ...

club

, before completing a permanent transfer to the club in December 2021. He made five appearances for the club throughout the 2022 season. Kato was released by Gamba Osaka at the end of the 2022 season. He took part in the J.League tryouts to help out of contract players find a new club, however the tryout was unsuccessful. After making only four league appearances in his career, decided to retire from professional football in February 2023. In March 2023, Kato was appointed as a coach at

' soccer school – the club where he began his career.

Career statistics

References

External links

*
Profile at Gamba Osaka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kato, Taichi 1997 births Living people Japanese men's footballers Men's association football goalkeepers Meiji University alumni category:J1 League players J2 League players Gamba Osaka players Ehime FC players