Takumi Minamino 2020 | Skills and Goals

Takumi Minamino (Japanese: 南野 拓実 Hepburn: Minamino Takumi; born 16 January 1995) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Liverpool and the Japan national team.

Minamino began his club career at J.League club Cerezo Osaka in 2012 and in his first season he was named J.League Rookie of the Year. In 2014 he moved to Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg with whom he spent four successful seasons. Following impressive displays for the club he joined Liverpool on 1 January 2020.

Making his senior international debut for Japan in 2015, Minamino starred in the team that reached the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

In December 2019, Liverpool agreed a deal to sign Minamino from Salzburg in January 2020 after activating his £7.25 million release clause. Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund commented that “The big clubs have been watching him and, if I was them, I’d have no hesitation to sign him. Takumi is ready to make the next step in January.”[101] On 18 December 2019, he had his Liverpool medical in preparation for his 1 January 2020 transfer to the team.

Liverpool’s first Japanese player, Minamino was assigned the No. 18 jersey, which was vacated by Alberto Moreno last in the summer of 2019 and has previously been worn at the club by the likes of Dirk Kuyt, John Arne Riise and Michael Owen.

On 5 January 2020, Minamino made his Liverpool debut in the club’s FA Cup win against Everton, and made his Premier League debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers, coming on in the first half for Sadio Mané on 23 January 2020.

In October 2013, Minamino signed a sponsorship with Adidas. It was announced on 14 January 2014 that Minamino held the Guinness World Records for high fives in a minute whilst running at the Komagawa Shopping Street with an achievement of 187 times, making the world’s new record. In addition to speaking Japanese, he speaks German since moving to Red Bull Salzburg. Minamino is also known to be a massive fan of the Japanese idol group AKB48.

#minamino #minamino2020 #takumiminamino #takumiminamino2020 #minaminoliverpool #minaminovsliverpool