Japan Soccer Stars : Yoshinori Muto

Yoshinori Muto the 22 year old Keio University Economics graduate is the latest star of the J.League. A product of FC Tokyo’s own youth system it wasn’t clear whether Muto had what it took to pursue a career in professional football. Instead of heading straight to the J.League he elected to study economics at one of Japan’s most prestigious universities but didn’t give up on soccer. FC Tokyo asked him to play whilst he was at university, and he was elected a member of the season’s best 11 in 2014 and even made his full international debut for Japan when still a student. He was the subject of interest from Chelsea but now looks set for a transfer to the Bundesliga to play for FC Mainz from the start of the 2015/16 season.

Yoshinori Muto (Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo) in action for FC Tokyo in the J1 League 1st stage match between F.C. Tokyo 1-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, on April 18th 2015. (Photo by YUTAKA/AFLO SPORT)

Yoshinori Muto (Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

Yoshinori Muto celebrates scoring for Japan in the KIRIN Challenge Cup 2014 match between Japan – Venezuela at Nissan Stadium, Kanagawa, Japan, on September 9, 2014. (Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT)

Yoshinori Muto (Click on the image above to view the full gallery)

(L-R) Jung Woo-Young (Vissel), Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo), Simplicio (Vissel) in action in the 2014 J.LEAGUE Division 1 match between F.C. Tokyo 1-1 Vissel Kobe at Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT)