is a Japanese football player who plays as a striker for J1 League club Nagoya Grampus.

Career From the age of 3, Nagai spent five years in Ipatinga, Brazil, where he started playing street football with his childhood friends.

After moving back from Brazil to Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, he played soccer at local elementary and junior high school clubs, before joining the Kyushu International University High School club, where he played two matches in the 85th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.

He joined the Fukuoka University club in April 2007 and won the 33rd Prime Minister's Cup All Japan College Soccer Tournament in 2009.

While playing for the Fukuoka University Club, Nagai also played for Avispa Fukuoka in J. League Division 2 in 2009 and Vissel Kobe in 2010 as a J.League designated special player.

On 23 December 2009, he was named in the squad for Japan's 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Yemen, and made his full international debut for the team in the fixture on 6 January 2010.

He was selected as a member of Japanese squad for the 2012 Olympics.

He was transferred from Nagoya to Standard Liège of Belgian Pro League in January 2013, but was loaned back to Nagoya from August 2013 to June 2014, due to limited playing opportunities at Standard Liège. In January 2015, the loan deal was terminated, and Nagai returned to Nagoya on a permanent basis.

Career statistics

Club .Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2019 (NSK MOOK)", 9 February 2019, Japan, (p. 49 out of 289)Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", 7 February 2018, Japan, (p. 105 out of 289) ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOther4TotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsFukuoka University2009-10---10Avispa Fukuoka200950----50Vissel Kobe201030----30Nagoya Grampus2011273422272-40920123010320071-4013Standard Liège2012–13110----1102013–1400 - -10 -10Nagoya Grampus201314010---150201428124661--381920153110-41--3511201631730---347FC Tokyo20173011081--39220183252020--36520193392041--39102020264-3041-335202138211102--49520222002010 - -230Nagoya Grampus2022134 -20 - -15420233343072 - -4362024346 -83 - -429Career total439772412601319400542106

International

National teamYearAppsGoalsJapan U18200731Japan U19200834Japan U20200951Japan U2320093120106520111042012123Total219Japan201010201100201200201300201400201550201600201700201800201963Total123

International appearances and goals # Date Venue Opponent Result Goal Competition2007 12 November Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok Myanmar U18 8–0 1 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U18 14 November Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok Laos U18 5–0 0 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U18 18 November Thai Japanese Stadium, Bangkok Thailand U18 3–2 0 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U182008 31 October Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam Yemen U19 5–0 1 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U19 2 November Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam Iran U19 4–2 3 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U19 8 November Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam South Korea U19 0–3 0 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U192009 11 January Qatar SC Stadium, Doha Syria U20 0–1 0 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 13 January Qatar SC Stadium, Doha United Arab Emirates U20 1–1 1 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 15 January Qatar SC Stadium, Doha Serbia U20 3–2 0 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 18 January Qatar SC Stadium, Doha Uzbekistan U20 2–3 0 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 20 January Qatar SC Stadium, Doha Qatar U20 3–1 0 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 2 December Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Hong Kong North Korea U23 2–1 0 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U23 10 December Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong South Korea U23 2–1 1 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U23 12 December Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong Hong Kong U23 1–1 0 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U232010 1. 6 January Ali Muhesen Stadium, Sana'a 3–2 0 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 8 November Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou China U23 3–0 1 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 10 November Huadu Stadium, Guangzhou Malaysia U23 2–0 1 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 16 November Huangpu Sports Center, Guangzhou India U23 5–0 2 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 19 November Huangpu Sports Center, Guangzhou Thailand U23 1–0 0 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 23 November Yuexiushan Stadium, Guangzhou Iran U23 2–1 1 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 25 November Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou United Arab Emirates U23 1–0 0 2010 Asian Games / Japan U232011 9 February Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawalli 0–3 0 Friendly / Japan U22 12 February Bahrain National Stadium, Manama Bahrain U22 2–0 0 Friendly / Japan U22 26 March Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent Uzbekistan U22 0–1 0 Friendly / Japan U22 29 March JAR Stadium, Tashkent Uzbekistan U22 2–1 1 Friendly / Japan U22 1 June Niigata Stadium, Niigata Australia U22 3–1 2 Friendly / Japan U22 23 June Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawalli Kuwait U22 1–2 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 10 August Sapporo Dome, Sapporo Egypt U22 2–1 1 Friendly / Japan U22 21 September Tosu Stadium, Tosu Malaysia U22 2–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 22 November Bahrain National Stadium, Manama Bahrain U22 2–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 27 November National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo Syria U22 2–1 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U222012 5 February King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh Syria U23 1–2 1 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 22 February National Stadium, Bukit Jalil Malaysia U23 4–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 14 March National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo Bahrain U23 2–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 11 July National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo New Zealand U23 (Olympic) 1–1 0 Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) 18 July City Ground, West Bridgford Belarus U23 (Olympic) 1–0 0 Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) 21 July City Ground, West Bridgford Mexico U23 (Olympic) 2–1 0 Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) 26 July Hampden Park, Glasgow Spain U23 (Olympic) 1–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) 29 July St James' Park, Newcastle Morocco U23 (Olympic) 1–0 1 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) 1 August Ricoh Arena, Coventry Honduras U23 (Olympic) 0–0 0 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) 4 August Old Trafford, Manchester Egypt U23 (Olympic) 3–0 1 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) 7 August Wembley Stadium, London Mexico U23 (Olympic) 1–3 0 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) 10 August Millennium Stadium, Cardiff South Korea U23 (Olympic) 0–2 0 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic)

International goals Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 9 June 2019 Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi, Rifu, Japan 1–0 2–0 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup 2. 2–0 3. 10 October 2019 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan 4–0 6–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Japan Asian Games : 2010

Club Nagoya Grampus J.League Cup: 2024 Japanese Super Cup : 2011

FC Tokyo J.League Cup : 2020

Individual AFC U-19 Championship Top scorers : 2008 Summer Universiade Top scorers : 2009 Asian Games Top scorers : 2010 J.League Best XI: 2019

References

External links Profile at FC Tokyo Profile at Nagoya Grampus

Kensuke Nagai at Yahoo! Japan sports