# Kensuke Nagai

Kensuke Nagai (永井 謙佑, Nagai Kensuke, born 5 March 1989) is a Japanese football player who plays as a striker for J1 League club Nagoya Grampus.

## Career

From the age of 3, Nagai spent five years in Ipatinga, Brazil, where he started playing street football with his childhood friends.
After moving back from Brazil to Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, he played soccer at local elementary and junior high school clubs, before joining the Kyushu International University High School club, where he played two matches in the 85th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
He joined the Fukuoka University club in April 2007 and won the 33rd Prime Minister's Cup All Japan College Soccer Tournament in 2009.
While playing for the Fukuoka University Club, Nagai also played for Avispa Fukuoka in J. League Division 2 in 2009 and Vissel Kobe in 2010 as a J.League designated special player.
On 23 December 2009, he was named in the squad for Japan's 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Yemen, and made his full international debut for the team in the fixture on 6 January 2010.
He was selected as a member of Japanese squad for the 2012 Olympics.
He was transferred from Nagoya to Standard Liège of Belgian Pro League in January 2013, but was loaned back to Nagoya from August 2013 to June 2014, due to limited playing opportunities at Standard Liège. In January 2015, the loan deal was terminated, and Nagai returned to Nagoya on a permanent basis.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of 8 December 2024.
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Fukuoka University | 2009 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 2009 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 0 |
| Vissel Kobe | 2010 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2011 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | - | - | 40 | 9 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2012 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | - | - | 40 | 13 |
| Standard Liège | 2012–13 | 11 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | 0 |
| Standard Liège | 2013–14 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2013 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 0 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2014 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 38 | 19 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2015 | 31 | 10 | - | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 35 | 11 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2016 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | 7 |
| FC Tokyo | 2017 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 2 |
| FC Tokyo | 2018 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 36 | 5 |
| FC Tokyo | 2019 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 10 |
| FC Tokyo | 2020 | 26 | 4 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 33 | 5 |
| FC Tokyo | 2021 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 49 | 5 |
| FC Tokyo | 2022 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 23 | 0 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2022 | 13 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 4 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2023 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 43 | 6 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 2024 | 34 | 6 | - | - | 8 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 42 | 9 |
| Career total | Career total | 439 | 77 | 24 | 12 | 60 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 542 | 106 |
* ↑ Emperor's Cup and Belgian Cup
* ↑ J. League Cup
* ↑ AFC Champions League

### International

    As of 19 November 2019
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Japan U18 |
| Japan U18 | 2007 | 3 | 1 |
| Japan U19 |
| Japan U19 | 2008 | 3 | 4 |
| Japan U20 |
| Japan U20 | 2009 | 5 | 1 |
| Japan U23 |
| Japan U23 | 2009 | 3 | 1 |
| Japan U23 | 2010 | 6 | 5 |
| Japan U23 | 2011 | 10 | 4 |
| Japan U23 | 2012 | 12 | 3 |
| Japan U23 | Total | 21 | 9 |
| Japan |
| Japan | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| Japan | 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2013 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2015 | 5 | 0 |
| Japan | 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 2019 | 6 | 3 |
| Japan | Total | 12 | 3 |
International appearances and goals :
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goal | Competition |
| 2007 |||||||
| | 12 November | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok | Myanmar U18 | 8–0 | 1 | 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U18 |
| | 14 November | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok | Laos U18 | 5–0 | 0 | 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U18 |
| | 18 November | Thai Japanese Stadium, Bangkok | Thailand U18 | 3–2 | 0 | 2008 AFC Youth Championship qualification / Japan U18 |
| 2008 |||||||
| | 31 October | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam | Yemen U19 | 5–0 | 1 | 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U19 |
| | 2 November | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam | Iran U19 | 4–2 | 3 | 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U19 |
| | 8 November | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam | South Korea U19 | 0–3 | 0 | 2008 AFC U-19 Championship / Japan U19 |
| 2009 |||||||
| | 11 January | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha | Syria U20 | 0–1 | 0 | 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 |
| | 13 January | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha | United Arab Emirates U20 | 1–1 | 1 | 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 |
| | 15 January | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha | Serbia U20 | 3–2 | 0 | 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 |
| | 18 January | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha | Uzbekistan U20 | 2–3 | 0 | 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 |
| | 20 January | Qatar SC Stadium, Doha | Qatar U20 | 3–1 | 0 | 2009 Qatar International Friendship Tournament / Japan U20 |
| | 2 December | Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Hong Kong | North Korea U23 | 2–1 | 0 | 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 10 December | Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | South Korea U23 | 2–1 | 1 | 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 12 December | Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Hong Kong U23 | 1–1 | 0 | 2009 East Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| 2010 |||||||
| 1. | 6 January | Ali Muhesen Stadium, Sana'a | Yemen | 3–2 | 0 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| | 8 November | Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou | China U23 | 3–0 | 1 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 10 November | Huadu Stadium, Guangzhou | Malaysia U23 | 2–0 | 1 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 16 November | Huangpu Sports Center, Guangzhou | India U23 | 5–0 | 2 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 19 November | Huangpu Sports Center, Guangzhou | Thailand U23 | 1–0 | 0 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 23 November | Yuexiushan Stadium, Guangzhou | Iran U23 | 2–1 | 1 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| | 25 November | Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou | United Arab Emirates U23 | 1–0 | 0 | 2010 Asian Games / Japan U23 |
| 2011 |||||||
| | 9 February | Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawalli | Kuwait | 0–3 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 12 February | Bahrain National Stadium, Manama | Bahrain U22 | 2–0 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 26 March | Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent | Uzbekistan U22 | 0–1 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 29 March | JAR Stadium, Tashkent | Uzbekistan U22 | 2–1 | 1 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 1 June | Niigata Stadium, Niigata | Australia U22 | 3–1 | 2 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 23 June | Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawalli | Kuwait U22 | 1–2 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 |
| | 10 August | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo | Egypt U22 | 2–1 | 1 | Friendly / Japan U22 |
| | 21 September | Tosu Stadium, Tosu | Malaysia U22 | 2–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 |
| | 22 November | Bahrain National Stadium, Manama | Bahrain U22 | 2–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 |
| | 27 November | National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | Syria U22 | 2–1 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U22 |
| 2012 |||||||
| | 5 February | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh | Syria U23 | 1–2 | 1 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 |
| | 22 February | National Stadium, Bukit Jalil | Malaysia U23 | 4–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 |
| | 14 March | National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | Bahrain U23 | 2–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics qualification / Japan U23 |
| | 11 July | National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo | New Zealand U23 (Olympic) | 1–1 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 18 July | City Ground, West Bridgford | Belarus U23 (Olympic) | 1–0 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 21 July | City Ground, West Bridgford | Mexico U23 (Olympic) | 2–1 | 0 | Friendly / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 26 July | Hampden Park, Glasgow | Spain U23 (Olympic) | 1–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 29 July | St James' Park, Newcastle | Morocco U23 (Olympic) | 1–0 | 1 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 1 August | Ricoh Arena, Coventry | Honduras U23 (Olympic) | 0–0 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 4 August | Old Trafford, Manchester | Egypt U23 (Olympic) | 3–0 | 1 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 7 August | Wembley Stadium, London | Mexico U23 (Olympic) | 1–3 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |
| | 10 August | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | South Korea U23 (Olympic) | 0–2 | 0 | 2012 Summer Olympics / Japan U23 (Olympic) |

### International goals

    Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 9 June 2019 | Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi, Rifu, Japan | El Salvador | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 2. | 9 June 2019 | Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi, Rifu, Japan | El Salvador | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 3. | 10 October 2019 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan | Mongolia | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours
### Japan

* Asian Games : 2010

### Club

Nagoya Grampus
* J.League Cup: 2024
* Japanese Super Cup : 2011
FC Tokyo
* J.League Cup : 2020

### Individual

* AFC U-19 Championship Top scorers : 2008
* Summer Universiade Top scorers : 2009
* Asian Games Top scorers : 2010
* J.League Best XI: 2019