Ayaka Yamashita (footballer)

Ayaka Yamashita (山下 杏也加, Yamashita Ayaka, born September 29, 1995) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Women's Super League club Manchester City and the Japan national team.

Ayaka Yamashita
山下 杏也加

Personal information
Full name	Ayaka Yamashita
Date of birth	(1995-09-29) September 29, 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth	Adachi, Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Manchester City
Number	31
Youth career
2011–2013	Murata Women's High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2020	NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza	109	(0)
2021–2024	INAC Kobe Leonessa	56	(0)
2024–	Manchester City	1	(0)
International career‡
2015–	Japan	74	(0)
Medal record Representing  Japan AFC Women's Asian Cup 2018 Jordan Asian Games 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:05, 22 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:25, 9 August 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Yamashita was born in Adachi, Tokyo on September 29, 1995. After graduating from high school, she joined Nippon TV Beleza in 2014.^[1] The club won L.League championship and she was selected Best Eleven for 3 years in a row from the 2015 season.

On 9 August 2024, Ayaka was signed on a three year deal by FA WSL club Manchester City.^[2]

International career

In August 2015, when Yamashita was 19 years old, she was selected for Japan national team for 2015 East Asian Cup. In that competition, on August 4, she debuted against South Korea. In 2018, she played at 2018 Asian Cup where Japan won the championship. She played 25 games for Japan.

On 13 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.^[3]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 September 2024^[4][5][6]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup[lower-alpha 1]		League Cup[lower-alpha 2]		Continental[lower-alpha 3]		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tokyo Verdy Beleza	2014	Nadeshiko League	4	0	4	0	—		—		8	0
	2015	Nadeshiko League	22	0	3	0	—		—		25	0
	2016	Nadeshiko League	18	0	4	0	7	0	—		29	0
	2017	Nadeshiko League	18	0	5	0	6	0	—		29	0
	2018	Nadeshiko League	17	0	5	0	4	0	—		26	0
	2019	Nadeshiko League	18	0	2	0	3	0	3	0	26	0
	2020	Nadeshiko League	12	0	0	0	—		—		12	0
	Total		109	0	23	0	20	0	3	0	155	0
INAC Kobe Leonessa	2021–22	WE League	19	0	1	0	—		—		20	0
	2022–23	WE League	19	0	4	0	4	0	—		27	0
	2023–24	WE League	18	0	3	0	1	0	—		22	0
	Total		56	0	8	0	5	0	—		69	0
Manchester City	2024–25	Women's Super League	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0
Career Total			166	0	31	0	25	0	4	0	226	0

1. Includes Empress's Cup, Women's FA Cup
2. Includes Nadeshiko League Cup, WE League Cup, FA Women's League Cup
3. Includes AFC Women's Club Championship, UEFA Women's Champions League

International

As of match played 3 August 2024^[7]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan	2015	3	0
	2016	3	0
	2017	5	0
	2018	14	0
	2019	10	0
	2020	2	0
	2021	6	0
	2022	10	0
	2023	11	0
	2024	10	0
Total		74	0

Honours

Tokyo Verdy Beleza

• Nadeshiko League: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Empress's Cup: 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• Nadeshiko League Cup: 2016, 2018, 2019
• AFC Women's Club Championship: 2019

INAC Kobe Leonessa

• WE League: 2021–22

Japan

• AFC Asian Cup: 2018
• Asian Games: 2018

Individual

• Nadeshiko League Best Eleven: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• WE League Most Valuable Player: 2021–22
• WE League Best Eleven: 2021–22, 2022–23
• WE League Outstanding Players Award: 2021–22, 2022–23

References

1. Nippon TV Beleza(in Japanese)
2. "Man City sign Japan goalkeeper Yamashita". BBC Sport. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
3. "Iwabuchi left out of Japan's World Cup squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
4. "シーズン試合一覧". Tokyo Verdy Beleza. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
5. "2021/22シーズン全日程". INAC Kobe Leonessa. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
6. "Japan - A. Yamashita - Profile with news, career statistics, and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
7. "Ayaka Yamashita". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 30 October 2023.

External links

• Ayaka Yamashita at Soccerway
• Ayaka Yamashita at WorldFootball.net
• Japan Football Association