The further potential of the 20-year-old Japan national team defender Kodai Takai, who is attracting attention from around the world

Takai, who started playing soccer at the age of 5, joined Kawasaki Frontale's youth development organization at U12 and steadily built his career, serving as captain of the U18 youth team. In 2022, while still a second-year high school student, he signed a contract with the top team and became a professional player, making him the youngest player in Frontale's history. He also participated in the Paris Olympics as a member of the U-23 Japan national team, making him a player who will continue to attract attention. He is currently playing for Kawasaki Frontale's top team.

Takai is a center back whose greatest asset is his height of over 190cm. With a physique unlike that of a typical Japanese person, Takai is often mocked as being like the Dutch national team player Van Dijk, whom he admires and aims to be like. His potential is sure to be watched.

His greatest weapon is his physique, which allows him to use his headers to push the ball into the goal and stop opponents' attacks. He is also known for his excellent ball-winning and accurate passing, and is adept at changing the direction of the team and the game with his response to long passes. Furthermore, as he was originally a forward, he is also the type of player who can be the starting point of an attack. If there is space, he boldly carries the ball forward and passes it with high precision, which is also appealing.

Not only has his footwork improved, but he continues to evolve as a flawless defender. Takai himself has said that he wants to strengthen his build-up in the future. He will likely aim to become a skilled center back who actively stops opponents and changes the game.

Manager Tatsuya Onitake, who led Kawasaki Frontale for eight years until 2024, has a high opinion of Takai.

In 2024, he played in a total of 31 official matches as a center back, scoring two goals and one assist. He also played for the Japan U-23 national team in the U-23 Asian Cup and the Paris Olympics in 2024, and made his senior national team debut in September in the FIFA World Cup 26 Asian final qualifying match against China.
Japan Football Association Chairman Miyamoto Tsuneyasu said of Takai, who has grown beyond recognition ahead of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Final, "He has grown at an incredible rate." Chairman Miyamoto, who has been watching Japan's U-19 national team since the first round of Asian qualifiers about a year and a half ago, said, "Even at that age (two years younger), he wasn't a main player then," and Takai himself said, "I never thought he'd make it this far."

Starting this season, he inherited the traditional number 2 jersey, which has been worn by technical director Hiroki Ito and Kyohei Nobori (Cebu Osaka). We will continue to keep an eye on Takai, who is rapidly growing into a mainstay of Japan.

*The information in this article is current as of the time of publication.