Maya Yoshida

Maya Yoshida is a Japanese defender born in Nagasaki in 1988. He developed at Nagoya Grampus, initially playing as a defensive midfielder before moving into central defence during his progression to the senior team. In 2010, Yoshida moved to VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands, where he established himself and scored a bicycle kick against PSV Eindhoven. He joined Southampton in 2012 and spent eight seasons in the Premier League, becoming the first Japanese player to make 100 appearances in the competition. After leaving England, Yoshida played for Sampdoria in Serie A and Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga. He became a senior international and captained Japan, representing the country at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, as well as the 2008, 2012 and 2020 Olympics. Since joining Los Angeles Galaxy, Yoshida has served as captain and helped the club win the 2024 MLS Cup.