Shin'ya Yajima is a professional Japanese football player known for his role as a midfielder.
Yajima began his professional career with Urawa Red Diamonds, making his first-team debut at just 18 years old.
He represented Japan in the 2016 Summer Olympics, scoring a goal against Sweden in the tournament.
Biography
Early Life and Development
Shin'ya Yajima is a Japanese footballer born and raised in the Urawa area of Saitama. He began his football journey with the Urawa Red Diamonds, joining their youth academy and making his way to the first team at just 18 years old ahead of the 2012 season. His early professional career saw limited appearances, with only one match in the Emperor's Cup during his debut season. However, he gradually earned more playing time, scoring three goals in his second season.
Career Progression
Yajima's quest for more game time led to a two-season loan to Fagiano Okayama in 2015, where he became a key player in their midfield, making 37 league appearances each season and scoring a total of 13 goals. After returning to Urawa in 2017, he had a more active role, contributing to their AFC Champions League victory that year. In 2018, he transferred to Gamba Osaka but faced challenges under the new coach, resulting in limited playtime.
International Experience
On the international stage, Yajima was selected for the Japan Under-23 national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he played in all three matches and scored against Sweden. His contributions to the national team and club have marked him as a notable midfielder in Japanese football.
Legacy and Honors
Yajima's career highlights include winning the AFC U-23 Championship in 2016 with the Japan U-23 team and the AFC Champions League in 2017 with Urawa Red Diamonds. His journey reflects the challenges and triumphs of a professional athlete navigating the competitive landscape of football in Japan.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Career & Clubs
In August 2016, Yajima was selected in the Japan Under-23 national team squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. At this tournament, he played all 3 matches and scored a goal against Sweden.
Born and raised in the Urawa area of Saitama, Yajima came through the ranks with his local team Urawa Red Diamonds and joined their first team ahead of the 2012 season aged just 18. He made just a solitary appearance in the Emperor's Cup during his debut season as a professional, but the following year he earned more game time; playing 8 times in the league and 6 in the domestic cups where he found the back of the net 3 times. The next 2 seasons with Urawa saw him struggle to get on the pitch and he appeared just 7 and 6 times respectively in all competitions. Owing to a lack of game time, Yajima was sent on a 2-season loan to J2 League side Fagiano Okayama in 2015. He immediately became a regular in their midfield and played 37 league games in both of his seasons with Okayama scoring 13 times in total as they finished 11th and 6th in the final standings. After gaining good top-team experience in J2 it was back to Urawa for 2017 and although he featured more than he had done prior to moving to Okayama, he was still rather a peripheral figure at the Saitama Stadium. He made just 11 appearances in the league and 19 in total, including 4 in Urawa's victorious AFC Champions League campaign. Yajima moved from Urawa to their fierce rivals Gamba Osaka ahead of the 2018 season. However, he was not flavour of the month with new Brazilian coach Levir Culpi and played a mere 2 league and 2 league cup games in his first year in Osaka. Out of favour, he found himself featuring…
- Club
- Fagiano Okayama (2015–)
- Club
- Urawa Red Diamonds (2012–)
Legacy
International
Last Updated: 7 February 2019
Japan U-23 AFC U-23 Championship: 2016
Club
Urawa Red Diamonds AFC Champions League: 2017
Clubs
Played together with
- Adiel de Oliveira AmorimUrawa Red Diamonds · 2000–2000
Ado OnaiwuUrawa Red Diamonds- Adriano Gerlin da SilvaUrawa Red Diamonds · 2001–2001
- Adílson Ferreira de SouzaUrawa Red Diamonds · 2012–2012
- Akihiro KamedaUrawa Red Diamonds
- Akihiro TabataUrawa Red Diamonds · 1997–2002
- Akihisa SonobeUrawa Red Diamonds · 1983–1994
- Akinori MikamiUrawa Red Diamonds · 1988–1994
Akira KajiFagiano Okayama · 2015–2015- Akira KitaguchiUrawa Red Diamonds · 1957–1966
Alessandro SantosUrawa Red Diamonds · 2004–2009- Alfred NijhuisUrawa Red Diamonds · 1997–1998
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Shinya Yajima is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for J3 League club Gainare Tottori. He has previously played for both Urawa Red Diamonds and Fagiano Okayama.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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