Ryotaro Nakano

Ryotaro Nakano (中野 遼太郎, Nakano Ryotaro; born 13 June 1988) is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.^[1]

Ryotaro Nakano

Personal information
Date of birth	(1988-06-13) 13 June 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
2005–2007	FC Tokyo
2007–2011	Waseda University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Pommern Greifswald	28	(11)
2012	→ Arka Gdynia (loan)	0	(0)
2012	→ Arka Gdynia II (loan)	8	(0)
2013–2016	Daugavpils	79	(33)
2016–2017	Jelgava	24	(2)
2017	Chonburi	29	(0)
2018	Jelgava	19	(0)
2019	Thai Honda	12	(0)
2021–2022	Jelgava	20	(2)
Total		219	(48)
International career
2004	Japan U16
2005	Japan U17
2006	Japan U18
	Japan U19
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Nakano started his career with FC Tokyo while studying at the Waseda University. He moved to Germany in 2011 to join 6th division side Pommern Greifswald.^[2] He was loaned to Ekstraklasa side Arka Gdynia in 2012,^[3][4] but left less than five months later, without a first team appearance.^[5][6]

He moved to Latvia in 2013, joining Latvian First League side BFC Daugavpils. In his first season, Nakano managed a 1:1 goal ratio, scoring 26 goals in 26 games as his team were promoted to the Latvian Higher League.^[2] He earned a transfer to fellow Latvian side FK Jelgava in January 2016,^[7] and was included in the 2016 Latvian Higher League team of the season.^[8]

Despite his good performances, Nakano struggled with the freezing weather in Latvia, as temperatures dipped to −25° in the winter. He was offered a move to Thai League side Chonburi F.C. in 2017, an opportunity which he took.^[9]

International career

Nakano has represented Japan at numerous youth levels,^[2][9] and was called up to represent a Japan XI against the Nepal national football team in 2016.^[10]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[11][12]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pommern Greifswald	2011–12	NOFV-Oberliga Nord	14	10	0	0	—		0	0	14	10
	2012–13	NOFV-Oberliga Nord	12	1	0	0	—		0	0	12	1
	Total		28	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	28	11
Arka Gdynia (loan)	2011–12	Ekstraklasa	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
Arka Gdynia II (loan)	2011–12[13]	IV liga Pomerania	8	0	—		—		0	0	8	0
Daugavpils	2013	Latvian First League	26	26	0	0	—		0	0	26	26
	2014	Latvian First League	31	5	1[a]	1	—		0	0	32	6
	2015	Latvian First League	22	2	2[a]	0	–		0	0	24	2
	Total		79	33	3	1	0	0	0	0	82	34
Jelgava	2016	Latvian First League	24	2	3[a]	0	6[b]	0	0	0	33	2
Chonburi	2017	Thai League 1	29	0	0	0	—		0	0	29	0
Jelgava	2018	Latvian First League	19	0	0	0	—		0	0	19	0
Thai Honda	2019	Thai League 2	12	0	1	0	—		0	0	13	0
Jelgava	2021	Latvian First League	12	0	3	0	—		0	0	15	0
	2022	Latvian First League	8	2	2	0	—		0	0	10	2
	Total		20	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	25	2
Career total			219	48	12	1	6	0	0	0	237	49

Notes

1. Appearances in the Latvian Cup
2. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League

Honours

Jelgava

• Latvian First League: 2022
• Latvian Cup: 2015–16