Naoki Imaya
Naoki Imaya (今矢 直城, Imaya Naoki, born 18 June 1980 in Tokyo) is a former Japanese footballer who played as a midfielder or forward.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Naoki Imaya | ||
| Date of birth | 18 June 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Tokyo, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000 | Blacktown City | 25 | (6) |
| 2001 | Canberra Cosmos | 21 | (3) |
| 2002 | Blacktown City | 22 | (6) |
| 2002 | Adelaide Galaxy | 10 | (4) |
| 2003 | Blacktown City | 22 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 8 | (0) |
| 2004 | La Chaux-de-Fonds | 12 | (0) |
| 2005 | Blacktown City | 11 | (4) |
| 2005–2006 | New Zealand Knights | 11 | (0) |
| 2006 | Marconi Stallions | ||
| 2007–2008 | VfB Lübeck | 12 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Career
As a child he moved to Sydney Australia with his parents at age 10. He played for various Australian clubs before moving to Switzerland. He played in the first season of the A-League with the New Zealand Knights before returning to NSW state league football with Marconi Stallions.[1]
In July 2007 he signed a contract with VfB Lübeck, a traditional club from Lübeck in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein playing in the 3rd German Regionalliga Nord.[2] He was released by the club after six months due to financial problems.[3]
Coaching career
Imaya is now coaching football to young children in Japan and no longer pursuing a professional career.[4]