Naotake Hanyu

Naotake Hanyu (羽生 直剛, Hanyū Naotake; born December 22, 1979) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

Hanyu was born in Chiba on December 22, 1979. After graduating from University of Tsukuba, he joined his local club JEF United Ichihara (later JEF United Chiba) in 2002. He immediately broke into the first team and played in the opening league match against Kyoto Purple Sanga on March 3, 2002. He eventually played 22 games and scored 2 goals in his first professional season. He played many matches as an offensive midfielder. The club won the 2005 and 2006 J.League Cup. He moved to FC Tokyo in 2008. The club won the 2009 J.League Cup. The club was relegated to J2 League end of the 2010 season. In 2011, the club won the J2 League and Emperor's Cup. His opportunity to play decreased from 2012 due to injury and he moved to Ventforet Kofu on loan in 2013. He returned to FC Tokyo in 2014. He moved to JEF United Chiba in 2017. He played the club for the first time in 10 years and retired at the end of the season.

Hanyu represented Japan for the 2001 Summer Universiade held in Beijing, when he was a student at the University of Tsukuba. He was instrumental in Japan winning the tournament by scoring 3 goals, including the lone goal in the final against Ukraine.

On August 13, 2006, he debuted for the Japan national team in a 2007 Asian Cup qualification match against Yemen, when he replaced Yuichi Komano at half time. He was a member of the Japan team for the 2007 Asian Cup and played five games as a substitute. In the third place play-off against South Korea, Hanyu was substituted on to replace Kengo Nakamura in the 72nd minute, in a 0-0 draw. A penalty shootout was required to break the deadlock and he missed the sixth penalty shot for Japan. Japan lost the shootout and finished 4th in the tournament. He played 17 games for Japan until 2008.