Naoki Tsubaki

{{Infobox football biography

|name=Naoki Tsubaki
椿直起

|image=

|image_size=

|caption=

|fullname=Naoki Tsubaki

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|2000|6|23}}

|birth_place=Tokyo, Japan

|height={{Height|m=1.72}}

|position=Winger

|currentclub= JEF United Chiba

|clubnumber=14

|youthyears1=|youthclubs1=Yokogawa Musashino

|youthyears2=2016–2018|youthclubs2=Yokohama F. Marinos

|years1=2019–2022|clubs1=Yokohama F. Marinos |caps1=0 |goals1=0

|years2=2019–2021|clubs2=→ Giravanz Kitakyushu (loan) |caps2=50 |goals2=2

|years3=2020–2021|clubs3=→ Melbourne City (loan)|caps3= 15|goals3= 1

|years4=2022|clubs4=→ Mito HollyHock (loan) |caps4=37 |goals4=3

|years5=2023–|clubs5=JEF United Chiba |caps5=0 |goals5=0

|nationalyears1=|nationalteam1=|nationalcaps1=|nationalgoals1=

|club-update= 3 November 2022

|nationalteam-update=

}}

{{Nihongo|Naoki Tsubaki|椿直起|Tsubaki Naoki|born 23 June 2000}} is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for {{Japanese football updater|JEFUnite}} club JEF United Chiba.{{cite web |title=椿直起：水戸ホーリーホック：Ｊリーグ.jp |url=https://www.jleague.jp/player/1604302/#attack |website=Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） |access-date=23 January 2023 |language=ja}}{{cite web | url=https://www.f-marinos.com/team/player-detail/40_tsubaki_naoki | title=Naoki Tsubaki Yokohama F. Marinos Player Profile | work=Yokohama F. Marinos | language= Japanese | accessdate=16 May 2019}}{{cite web | url=https://us.soccerway.com/players/naoki-tsubaki/479391/ | title=Naoki Tsubaki Soccerway Player Statistics | work=Soccerway.com | accessdate=16 May 2019}}{{cite web | url=https://www.jleague.jp/en/player/1604302/ | title=Naoki Tsubaki J.League Player Profile | work=J.League English Website | accessdate=16 May 2019}}

Career

After spending three years with Yokohama F. Marinos on a type 2 contract while finishing high school, Tsubaki signed his first professional contract ahead of the 2019 season. He debuted for the Tricolore as a second half substitute in a 4-0 win away to Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the J.League Cup on 8 May 2019.

Tsubaki has been transferred to Giravanz Kitakyushu in the J3 League on 15 August 2019 on loan. After Kitakyushu have become the champions of the 2019 J3 League, then have been promoted to the 2020 J2 League, Tsubaki's loan term to Kitakyushu has been extended to another season. After playing 34 matches with 2 goals out of 37 in the season, Tsubaki was transferred back to Yokohama as of the end of November 2020, then was transferred immediately to Melbourne City FC, the 2019-20 A-League runners-up, on loan as of 1 December 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/melbourne-city-fc-signs-japanese-attacker-naoki-tsubaki|title=Melbourne City FC signs Japanese attacker Naoki Tsubaki|website=Melbourne City|date=5 December 2020}} Following the conclusion of the 2020-21 A-League season, in which Melbourne City won the premiership and championship, Tsubaki departed Melbourne City and returned to Yokohama.{{Cite web|url=https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/winger-naoki-tsubaki-departs-city|title = Winger Naoki Tsubaki departs City|date = 6 July 2021}}

After a loan to J2 League club Mito Hollyhock for the 2022 season, it was announced in December 2022 that Tsubaki would be leaving Yokohama F. Marinos on a permanent basis and joining JEF United Chiba for the 2023 season.{{cite web |title=椿直起選手の加入について｜ニュース｜ジェフユナイテッド市原・千葉公式ウェブサイト |url=https://jefunited.co.jp/news/detail/1048 |website=ジェフユナイテッド市原・千葉公式ウェブサイト |access-date=23 January 2023 |language=ja}}

Career statistics

{{updated|start of 2023 season}}{{cite web |title=Soccer D.B. : 2022 Naoki Tsubaki Result by Season |url=https://soccer-db.net/player/index.php?pl=61764&la=e |website=Soccer D.B. |access-date=23 January 2023 |language=en}}

rowspan=2 \| Club ! rowspan=2 \| Season ! colspan=3 \| League ! colspan=2 \| National Cup{{efn\|Includes Emperor's Cup}} ! colspan=2 \| League Cup{{efn\|Includes J. League Cup}} ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
Yokohama F. Marinos	2019	J1 League	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0
rowspan="4"\|Giravanz Kitakyushu (loan)	2019	J3 League	5	0	0	0	colspan=2\|—	5	0
2020	rowspan="2"\|J2 League	34	2	0	0	colspan=2\|—	34	2
2021	11	0	0	0	colspan=2\|—	11	0
colspan="2"\|Total !50\|\|2\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|50\|\|2
Melbourne City (loan)	2020–21	A-League	15	1	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	15	1
Mito Hollyhock (loan)	2022	rowspan="2"\|J2 League	37	3	1	0	colspan=2\|—	38	3
JEF United Chiba	2023	0	0	0	0	colspan=2\|—	0	0
colspan=3 \| Career total !102\|\|7\|\|1\|\|0\|\|2\|\|0\|\|105\|\|7