Kōki Saitō (footballer)
{{short description|Japanese footballer (born 2001)}}
{{For-multi|the Japanese show-jumping competitor|Koki Saito (equestrian)|the Japanese baseball player|Kōki Saitō (baseball)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Kōki Saitō
{{nobold|斉藤 光毅}}
|image = Kōki Saitō 05042025 (1).jpg
|caption = Saitō in 2025.
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|8|10|df=y}}
|height = 1.70 m
|position = Midfielder
|currentclub = Queens Park Rangers
(on loan from Lommel)
|clubnumber = 14
|youthyears1 = 2008–2013
|youthclubs1 = Inukura SC
|youthyears2 = 2014–2018
|youthclubs2 = Yokohama FC
|years1 = 2018–2020
|clubs1 = Yokohama FC
|caps1 = 63
|goals1 = 9
|years2 = 2021–
|clubs2 = Lommel
|caps2 = 29
|goals2 = 5
|years3 = 2022–2024
|clubs3 = → Sparta Rotterdam (loan)
|caps3 = 47
|goals3 = 10
|years4 = 2024–
|clubs4 = → Queens Park Rangers (loan)
|caps4 = 37
|goals4 = 3
|nationalyears1 = 2017
|nationalteam1 = Japan U16
|nationalcaps1 = 7
|nationalgoals1 = 7
|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018
|nationalteam2 = Japan U17
|nationalcaps2 = 8
|nationalgoals2 = 9
|nationalyears3 = 2018
|nationalteam3 = Japan U18
|nationalcaps3 = 4
|nationalgoals3 = 0
|nationalyears4 = 2018
|nationalteam4 = Japan U19
|nationalcaps4 = 5
|nationalgoals4 = 3
|nationalyears5 = 2019
|nationalteam5 = Japan U20
|nationalcaps5 = 6
|nationalgoals5 = 1
|nationalyears6 = 2022–
|nationalteam6 = Japan U21
|nationalcaps6 = 5
|nationalgoals6 = 1
|nationalyears7 = 2022
|nationalteam7 = Japan U23
|nationalcaps7 = 6
|nationalgoals7 = 1
|medaltemplates=
{{Medal|Country|{{Fb|JPN}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|AFC U-19 Championship}}
{{Medal|B|2018|}}
|club-update = 2 April 2025 (UTC)
|nationalteam-update = 14:39, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
}}
{{nihongo|Kōki Saitō|斉藤 光毅|Saitō Kōki|born 10 August 2001}} is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|QueensPR}} side Queens Park Rangers on loan from Belgian Challenger Pro League club Lommel.
Club career
After impressive performances with the Japan U-17 team, Kōki Saitō debuted on 21 July 2018 in a league match against FC Gifu.{{cite web |url=https://www.yokohamafc.com/2018/06/05/61816 |title=横浜FCユースFW斉藤光毅選手 U-18（FIFA U-20ワールドカップ2019）日本代表ポルトガル遠征 「第24回U18リスボン国際トーナメント」 選出のお知らせ {{!}} 横浜FCオフィシャルホームページ |website=yokohamafc.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824183344/https://www.yokohamafc.com/2018/06/05/61816 |archive-date=2018-08-24}} On his debut, Saitō even had the chance to share the field with Kazuyoshi Miura, who is 34 years his senior.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/soccer/news/201807220000058.html|title = 51歳カズが16歳斉藤と２トップ 縦パスで見せ場 – Ｊ２ : 日刊スポーツ}}
In January 2021, he joined Belgian First Division B side Lommel.{{cite web|url=https://www.lommelsk.be/news.php?newsId=986|title=Welkom Kōki Saitō!|publisher=Lommel S.K.|date=20 January 2021|access-date=16 February 2021|language=Dutch}} In summer 2022 he was loaned to Eredivisie side Sparta.{{cite web|publisher=Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://www.sparta-rotterdam.nl/sparta-huurt-japans-jeugdinternational-saito/|title=SPARTA HUURT JAPANS JEUGDINTERNATIONAL SAITŌ|date=25 June 2022|language=nl}} The loan was extended for the 2023–24 season.{{cite web|publisher=Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://www.sparta-rotterdam.nl/witte-rook-rotterdam-west-saito-nog-seizoen-sparta/|title=WITTE ROOK IN ROTTERDAM-WEST: SAITŌ NOG EEN SEIZOEN BIJ SPARTA|date=5 June 2023|language=nl}}
On 13 August 2024, Saitō joined EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan deal. {{cite web|url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/2024/august/13/saito-and-demb-l--join-on-loan/|title=Saitō & Dembélé join on loan|website=www.qpr.co.uk|date=13 August 2024|accessdate=13 August 2024}} He made his debut with the club on 17 August, coming on as 67th minute substitute. In the 88th minute of the same match, he assisted Lyndon Dykes to earn 10-man QPR a draw away to Sheffield United.
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 15 February 2025}}Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, [https://www.amazon.co.jp/J1-J3%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E5%90%8D%E9%91%91%E3%83%8F%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E7%89%88-2018-NSK-MOOK/dp/4905411521 "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)"], 7 February 2018, Japan, {{ISBN|978-4905411529}} (p. 193 out of 289).{{Soccerway|koki-saito/502026|access-date=15 February 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Emperor's Cup, Belgian Cup, KNVB Cup, FA Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes J. League Cup, EFL Cup}} !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Yokohama FC
|2018 |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2019
|J2 League |29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 6 | ||
| 2020
|32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 3 | |||
| colspan=2 |Total
!63 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 67 | 9 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Lommel SK
|9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|– | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22
|Challenger Pro League |20 | 5 | 2 | 1 | colspan=2|– | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 22 | 6 | ||||
| colspan=2|Total
!29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | colspan=2|– | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 6 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Sparta Rotterdam (loan)
|30 | 7 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 32 | 7 | |||
| 2023–24
|Eredivisie |20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|– | colspan="2"|— | 1Appearances in Eredivisie European Play-offs | 0 | 21 | 3 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!50 | 10 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|– | colspan=2|– | 1 | 0 | 53 | 10 | |||
| rowspan="1"|Queens Park Rangers (loan)
|32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2| — | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 2 | |||
| colspan=3|Career total
!174 | 26 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 187 | 27 |
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
Individual
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://data.j-league.or.jp/SFIX04/?player_id=29425 Kōki Saitō] at j-league.or.jp {{in lang|ja}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180824183307/https://www.jleague.jp/club/yokohamafc/player/detail/1613333/ Kōki Saitō] at jleague.jp (archived 24 August 2018) {{in lang|ja}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180723212405/https://www.yokohamafc.com/team/member/2018-97 Kōki Saitō] at Yokohama FC (archived) {{in lang|ja}}
- {{worldfootball.net|koki-saito}}
{{Queens Park Rangers F.C. squad}}
{{Japan men's football squad 2024 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saitō, Kōki}}
Category:Association football people from Tokyo
Category:Japanese men's footballers
Category:Japan men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Sparta Rotterdam players
Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Category:Challenger Pro League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Japanese expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Category:Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:Japanese expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Japanese expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Japan men's under-20 international footballers
Category:Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic footballers for Japan
Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen
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