13 Facts About Hotaru Yamaguchi

Hotaru Yamaguchi is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder and currently plays for J2 League club, V-Varen Nagasaki.

Hotaru Yamaguchi is a member of the Japan national team until 2019.

Hotaru Yamaguchi enjoyed steady progress at the club, being selected to be part of the first entering class of the Japan Football Association Elite Program at the end of his first year.

In 2006 Hotaru Yamaguchi was promoted to the Cerezo Under-18 team, which later won the JFA Prince League U-18 in the 2008 season, in which he served as captain and was named league MVP.

Hotaru Yamaguchi was named to the Japan Under-21 team in his second season and played in all of the matches in a gold medal campaign at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Hotaru Yamaguchi began to receive substantial playing time with Cerezo in 2011, scoring his first league goal on Matchday 24 against Urawa Reds.

The addition of Fabio Simplicio resulted in Hotaru Yamaguchi being increasingly deployed as an attacking midfielder toward the latter part of the season, which he finished with 30 appearances.

Hotaru Yamaguchi followed up by winning a regular position on the Cerezo side in 2012, combining with Takahiro Ogihara in central midfield for both club and country, and being named to the Under-23 team.

Hotaru Yamaguchi played for Hannover 96 in 2016, however returned to Cerezo Osaka mid-season.

On 19 December 2018, Hotaru Yamaguchi sympathized with the goal of seriously aiming for the J1 League and AFC Champions League and officially completed a transfer to Vissel Kobe.

Hotaru Yamaguchi represented the U-23 national side under Takashi Sekizuka in Japan's successful qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Hotaru Yamaguchi was included in the final squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics, contributing to a fourth-place finish at the tournament.

In July 2013, Hotaru Yamaguchi received his first call up to the senior Japan side by Alberto Zaccheroni for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup, where he played in all three matches and was named tournament MVP.