Full name Nobuyuki Kojima Name Nobuyuki Kojima Education Doshisha University Years Team Weight 85 kg | 1984–1987 Doshisha University Height 1.87 m Place of birth Maebashi, Japan Role Football player | |
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Date of birth (1966-01-17) January 17, 1966 (age 50) 1988–1998 Fujita / Bellmare Hiratsuka | ||
Nobuyuki Kojima (小島 伸幸, Kojima Nobuyuki, born January 17, 1966) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
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He played for several clubs, including Bellmare Hiratsuka, Avispa Fukuoka and Thespa Kusatsu. He played for the Japan national football team (4 matches) and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Career
He started playing football when he was in the 5th grade and was converted to a goalkeeper at high school. After graduating from Doshisha University in 1988, Kojima joined Fujita Industries (current Shonan Bellmare) playing in the Japan Soccer League division 1. He became a regular starting member of the team in 1994. He had been playing for the club as an employee of Fujita Industries but turned professional in January 1995.
His international debut came on June 6, 1995 against Brazil in the Umbro Cup. He was in the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup as the third GK but did not play any game in the tournament.
At the end of 1998, Bellmare released their main players including Kojima as well as Wagner Lopes, Hong Myung-bo, Kazuaki Tasaka and Yoshihiro Natsuka due to their financial problems. Kojima moved to Avispa Fukuoka. He further moved to Thespa Kusatsu in 2002 that played in the Gunma Prefectural League division 2. As a player - assistant coach, he was instrumental in the team's promotion to the Japan Football League, then J2 League. His last competitive game was against Consadole Sapporo on December 3, 2005 and he announced his retirement from the game in January 2006.
He is currently an advisor for Kusatsu. He also serves as a pundit for NHK. (as of February 2010)