Name Takashi Hirano Spouse Akane Hirano 2000 Kyoto Purple Sanga Weight 73 kg | 1993–2000 Nagoya Grampus Eight Height 1.80 m Years Team Role Footballer Position Defender | |
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Date of birth (1974-07-15) July 15, 1974 (age 41) Place of birth Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan Education Shimizu Commercial High School | ||
Playing position | ||
Takashi Hirano (平野 孝, Hirano Takashi, born July 15, 1974) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Contents
Club
Hirano attended Shimizu Commercial High School, where he won the All-Japan High School Championship in 1991.
Hirano began his professional career in the J1 League in 1993 with Nagoya Grampus Eight, winning the Emperor's Cup in 1995 and 1999 and the Japanese Super Cup in 1996, and scoring 43 goals in 213 appearances for the team. He transferred to Kyoto Purple Sanga in 2000, and although his team won promotion from the J2 League in 2001, he played just 5 league games before moving on to Júbilo Iwata.
After brief and largely unremarkable stints at Vissel Kobe, Tokyo Verdy 1969, Yokohama F. Marinos and Omiya Ardija, Hirano moved to North America and signed for Vancouver Whitecaps in the USL First Division in 2008.
On September 30, 2008, Hirano was called up to the USL First Division All-League Team, and on October 12, 2008, helped the Whitecaps capture their second USL First Division Championship by beating the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 in the USL1 Championship game.
On January 20, 2009 the Whitecaps announced a contract extension for Hirano for the 2009 season.
Hirano announced his retirement from the game in January 2011.
International
Hirano played for the Japanese U-19 team which competed at the 1992 AFC Youth Championship, and received his first callup to the senior Japanese national team in 1997. He played two games as a substitute at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.