Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫) is a Japanese professional footballer, who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for the club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team.

Early years
Born in Hita, Ōita, Mitoma grew up in Miyamae-ku in the city of Kawasaki and joined the Kawasaki Frontale academy at the U10 level. Offered a promotion from the U-18s to the senior team coached by Yahiro Kazama, he instead chose the University of Tsukuba, a Japanese university football powerhouse who had recently produced Frontale stalwarts such as Shogo Taniguchi and Shintaro Kurumaya. Mitoma professed to feeling unprepared to enter professional football at age 18, citing the struggles of fellow Kawasaki academy products Ko Itakura and Koji Miyoshi to win regular playing time with the senior squad. He wrote his university thesis on dribbling.

During his time at Tsukuba, Mitoma was selected to represent Japan at the 2017 and 2019 Universiade tournaments, as well as the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the under-23 national team. Playing in the Kanto University Soccer League with Tsukuba, he was named to the all-league XI in his final three seasons while majoring in physical education. In addition, Tsukuba appeared in the 2016 and 2017 Emperor's Cup tournaments making an upstart run to the round of 16 in the latter edition, upsetting J.League clubs YSCC Yokohama, Vegalta Sendai (against whom Mitoma scored a brace), and Avispa Fukuoka along the way. While enrolled in college, Mitoma also occasionally joined Frontale's senior team for training sessions as a Special Designated Player starting in his sophomore year, appearing in a single J.League Cup match in 2019.

Kawasaki Frontale
In July 2018, Mitoma agreed on a professional contract with Kawasaki Frontale, and would become a member of the team in 2020. He made his debut on the opening matchday of the 2020 J1 League and quickly established himself after the league resumed following the COVID-19 outbreak, becoming the first rookie to reach double digits in goals in the first division since Yoshinori Muto. On 1 January 2021, he scored match winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Gamba Osaka in the final of the 2020 Emperor's Cup.

2021–22: Loan to Belgium
On 10 August 2021, Mitoma joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-year deal, joining Union SG on loan for the first year. He scored his first goal for Union SG on 16 October, where he scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory over Seraing.

2022–23: Breakout season
On 13 August 2022, Mitoma made his Premier League debut for Brighton, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Leandro Trossard in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United at the Falmer Stadium. He made his first start for Albion on 24 August, playing 67 minutes of the 3–0 away win over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round. He made his first Premier League start on 29 October, setting up Leandro Trossard's fifth-minute opener in the eventual 4–1 home win over Chelsea. A week later, he scored his first goal for the Seagulls, heading them level from Adam Lallana's cross in the eventual 3–2 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Mitoma also helped Brighton in both other goals with his run into the box creating Pascal Groß's 83rd-minute winner. Mitoma scored again in Brighton's next match four days later, putting Albion in front in the eventual 3–1 away win over Arsenal in the EFL Cup third round. He scored his first home goal on 31 December, giving Brighton a lifeline in the eventual 4–2 home loss against Arsenal. He later had a goal ruled out for offside which would have cut the Gunners' lead to one.

On 29 January 2023, Mitoma's 91st-minute winner at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup saw Brighton defeat the cup holders Liverpool 2–1. On 4 February, he scored the late winning goal in a 1–0 victory over AFC Bournemouth. On 1 April, he scored his seventh league goal of the season in a 3–3 draw with Brentford to surpass Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki for the most goals scored in a single English top-flight season by a Japanese player.

2023–24: Contract extension and season-ending injury
On 19 August 2023, Mitoma opened his season's scoring account with a sensational solo goal in Brighton's second match of the 2023–24 campaign, also setting up a Pervis Estupiñán goal in the 4–1 away league win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Later, this goal brought him the Goal of the Month award for August, making Mitoma the first ever Japanese player to win a Premier League monthly award. On 20 October 2023, Mitoma signed a new four-year deal with Brighton & Hove Albion up to 2027. On 27 February 2024, it was announced that Mitoma would miss the rest of the 2023–24 season due to a back injury.

International career
After being capped at youth level, Mitoma was called up to the Japan senior squad for the first time in November 2021 for 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Oman. He made his debut on 16 November, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 away win over Oman.

On 24 March 2022, Mitoma scored his first two international goals in a 2–0 World Cup qualification win against Australia. Coming from the bench on 86th minute, the winger opened the score three minutes later. He scored another during added time. This win confirmed Japan's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mitoma's double offered him his First "A" international titularisation at the following game, five days later, against Vietnam.

On 1 November, Mitoma was named in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the last group game which came against Spain on 1 December, he assisted Ao Tanaka's winner that saw Japan qualify to the round of 16 as group winners. The goal came with controversy, originally being ruled out for the ball going out of play. Upon VAR review, the goal was awarded with the justification that the curvature of the ball was hanging over the chalk.

Personal life
Mitoma is the childhood friend of fellow Japan international and former Kawasaki Frontale teammate Ao Tanaka, who currently plays for 2. Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf. Both went to Saginuma Elementary School in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, and promised to make Japan proud as professional footballers.

International

 * Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mitoma goal.

Honours
Kawasaki Frontale
 * J1 League: 2020
 * Emperor's Cup: 2020
 * Japanese Super Cup: 2021

Individual
 * J.League Best XI: 2020
 * Japan Pro-Footballers Association awards
 * MVP (2022,2023)
 * Best XI (2022,2023)
 * Premier League Goal of the Month: August 2023