is a Japanese football coach and former professional player. he is the currently assistant manager of J2 League club Sagan Tosu.
Though naturally a central midfielder, Kikuchi also operated as a central defender and a left-back.
Club career Kikuchi played for the Shimizu S-Pulse junior youth team and Shimizu Commercial High School, which has a strong soccer tradition with players such as Shinji Ono among its alumni. After graduating the school, he joined Júbilo Iwata and briefly loaned to Albirex Niigata. In 2002, he was invited to have a try-out at Arsenal and later went on to have another trial with Dutch team Feyenoord.
On June 13, 2007, Kikuchi was arrested in Hamamatsu city for the charge of a statutory rape on a 15-year-old high school student. He was suspended on indictment and released some days later. On June 29, 2007, he was sacked by the club after the scandal. The Japan Football Association imposed one-year suspension on him. After performing voluntary community service for some months, he moved to Germany and joined FC Carl Zeiss Jena.
In summer 2009, Kikuchi left FC Carl Zeiss Jena. After trialling with another German club, FC Schalke 04, he signed for Oita Trinita on July 27, 2009. In the winter of 2010, Kikuchi transferred from Oita to Albirex Niigata. Kikuchi retired at the end of the 2019 season.
International career Kikuchi was part of the 2004 Olympic football team for Japan that exited the tournament in the first round, having finished last in group B behind the teams from Paraguay, Italy, and Ghana. He also had an impressive 2001 U-17 World Championship. He capped for Japan U-20 national team at the 2003 World Youth Championship.
He made his full international debut for Japan on January 6, 2010, in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Yemen.
Career statistics
Club Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2017 J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 (NSK MOOK)", 8 February 2017, Japan, (p. 130 out of 289)
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Total2003Júbilo IwataJ1 League703020–1202004181505020301200590–1140141Albirex Niigata15120––1712006Júbilo Iwata3233080–4332007131–40–171 Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total2007–08Carl Zeiss Jena2. Bundesliga3010––402008–093. Liga17010––180 Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Total2009Oita TrinitaJ1 League10020––1202010J2 League35010––3602011Albirex NiigataJ1 League2302031–28120121811040–231201340–30–70Sagan Tosu15050––20020142103030–27020153103010–350201640–40–80Consadole SapporoJ2 League17010––1802017J1 League1601040–2102018001000–10 Career total3037350422603869
International Source:Japan National Football Team Database
Japan national teamYearAppsGoals201010Total10
References
External links
Japan National Football Team Database
Profile at Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo