{{Short description|Japanese footballer (born 2002)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Hayato Inamura |image = |full_name = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|5|6|df=y}} |birth_place = [[Tokyo]], Japan<ref name=wf>{{WorldFootball.net|hayato-inamura}}</ref> |height = 1.82 m<ref name=wf/> |position = [[Centre-back]], [[left-back]] |currentclub = [[FC Tokyo]]<br>(on loan from [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]]) |clubnumber = 17 |youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2014 |youthclubs1 = Gekkouhara SC |youthyears2 = 2015–2017 |youthclubs2 = [[FC Tokyo|FC Tokyo Fukagawa]] |youthyears3 = 2018–2020 |youthclubs3 = Maebashi Ikuei High School |collegeyears1 = 2021–2024 |college1 = [[Toyo University]] |years1 = 2024–2025 |clubs1 = [[Albirex Niigata]] |caps1 = 28 |goals1 = 1 |years2 = 2025– |clubs2 = [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] |caps2 = 1 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 2026– |clubs3 = → [[FC Tokyo]] (loan) |caps3 = 13 |goals3 = 0 |nationalyears1 = |nationalteam1 = |nationalcaps1 = |nationalgoals1 = |club-update = 9 May 2026 |nationalteam-update = }} {{nihongo|'''Hayato Inamura'''|稲村 隼翔|Inamura Hayato|born 6 May 2002}} is a Japanese professional [[association football|footballer]] who plays as [[left-back]] or [[centre-back]] for [[J1 League]] club [[FC Tokyo]] on loan from [[Scottish Premiership]] club [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]].
==Career==
===Early career=== Born in Japan's capital, [[Tokyo]], Inamura played there for Gekkouhara SC and the U-15 of [[FC Tokyo]], at their Fukagawa unit.<ref name=fb>{{cite web|url=https://www.footballista.jp/regular/193473|title=ビッグスワンに舞い降りた「進撃の現役大学生」。アルビレックス新潟・稲村隼翔が描く驚異的な成長曲線|trans-title=The "advancing college student" who descended on Big Swan. The astonishing growth curve of Albirex Niigata's Hayato Inamura|date=26 November 2024|access-date=4 July 2025|website=footballista.jp|language=ja|url-access=subscription}}</ref> After studying at the Maebashi Ikuei High School in [[Maebashi]], [[Gunma Prefecture]], Inamura enrolled at the [[Toyo University]] in 2021.<ref name=fb/>
===Albirex Niigata=== In his third year of university, he was offered a contract with [[J1 League]] club [[Albirex Niigata]], beginning in the 2025 season.<ref name=4y>{{cite web|url=https://4years.asahi.com/article/14921301|title=アルビレックス新潟内定の東洋大・稲村隼翔 ハングリー精神を原動力に、乗り越えた壁|trans-title=Toyo University's Hayato Inamura, who has signed with Albirex Niigata, overcomes obstacles with a hungry spirit as his driving force|date=3 June 2023|access-date=4 July 2025|website=4years.asahi.com|language=ja}}</ref> However, due to his potential, he joined the team in 2024 as a [[J.League designated special players|designated special player]].<ref name=fb/> He made his debut on 17 April 2024 in the [[J.League Cup]] against [[Iwaki FC]], and went on to establish himself in the first team, while also featuring for Toyo University in the Kantō University Soccer League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.nsttv.com/post/20241231-00000010-nst/|title=【新潟】クラブ初のルヴァン杯準優勝に導いた秋山・稲村を直撃！高校の先輩後輩コンビが語るお互いの素顔|trans-title=[Niigata] Interview with Akiyama and Inamura, who led the club to its first-ever Levain Cup runner-up finish! The high school senior-junior duo talk about each other's true selves|date=31 December 2024|access-date=4 July 2025|website=news.nsttv.com|language=ja}}</ref> In his first season he helped the club reach the J.League Cup final, and played the entire game as Albirex Niigata lost 8–7 on penalties after a 3–3 draw in normal time to [[Nagoya Grampus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soccer-king.jp/news/japan/jl/20241209/1963477.html|title=スタンドで見つめたJ1残留決定「やっとぐっすり眠れる」 新潟加入の東洋大DF稲村隼翔「勝たせられる選手に」|trans-title=Watching from the stands as the team remains in J1, "I can finally sleep soundly" Toyo University defender Hayato Inamura, who joined Niigata, "I want to become a player who can help us win"|date=9 December 2024|access-date=4 July 2025|website=soccer-king.jp|language=ja}}</ref> In December 2024, he helped Toyo University to the [[2024 All Japan University Football Championship]] title, their first time winning the championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://4years.asahi.com/article/15569765|title=東洋大・稲村隼翔と新井悠太 はい上がった前橋育英コンビ、インカレ初優勝の原動力に|trans-title=Toyo University's Hayato Inamura and Yuta Arai, the rising Maebashi Ikuei duo, are the driving force behind the team's first Intercollegiate Championship victory|date=1 January 2025|access-date=4 July 2025|website=4years.asahi.com|language=ja}}</ref>
===Celtic=== Inamura left Albirex Niigata on 29 June 2025, in order to facilitate a move to an unnamed foreign club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soccer-king.jp/news/world/world_other/20250630/2034610.html|title=23歳DF稲村隼翔が海外移籍を前提にチームを離脱「新潟で得たすべての経験を胸に、新たなチャレンジに向かいます」|trans-title=23-year-old defender Hayato Inamura has left the team with the intention of transferring overseas. "I will take all the experiences I gained in Niigata with me and embark on a new challenge."|date=30 June 2025|access-date=4 July 2025|website=soccer-king.jp|language=ja}}</ref> On 4 July 2025, Inamura signed for [[Scottish Premiership]] club [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] on a four-year deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/july/04/hayato-inamura-delighted-to-join-celtic/|title=Hayato Inamura: I am excited to join Celtic|date=4 July 2025|access-date=4 July 2025|website=celticfc.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cq5339xn91qo|title=Celtic sign Japanese centre-back Inamura|date=4 July 2025|access-date=4 July 2025|website=bbc.co.uk}}</ref> He made his debut on 23 August against [[Livingston F.C.|Livingston]], but has not made another appearance since.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.67hailhail.com/news/brendan-rodgers-sends-a-message-to-exiled-celtic-duo-shin-yamada-and-hayato-inamura/|title=Brendan Rodgers' message to exiled Celtic duo Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura|first=Patrick|last=Sinat|date=2 October 2025|website=67 Hail Hail}}</ref>
During the January transfer window, he was loaned back to Japan with J1 League side [[FC Tokyo]] for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c62w4ke52y7o|title=Celtic's Hayato Inamura joins FC Tokyo on loan|date=4 January 2026|website=BBC Sport}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thecelticstar.com/there-really-was-a-difference-in-football-ability-hayato-inamura/|title=“There really was a difference in football ability,” Hayato Inamura|date=7 January 2026|website=thecelticstar.com}}</ref>
==Style of play== Initially a [[right winger]] who also played as a [[defensive midfielder]], Inamura was converted to centre-back in his second year of high school by coach Kosuke Yamada, who told him to model his game on centre-back [[Ryotaro Tsunoda]].<ref name=4y/>
==Career statistics== {{updated|1 March 2026}}<ref>{{soccerbase|180273}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes [[Emperor's Cup]] and [[Scottish Cup]]}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes [[J.League Cup]] and [[Scottish League Cup]]}} !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|[[Albirex Niigata]] |[[2024 J1 League|2024]] |rowspan="2"|[[J1 League]] |12||0||0||0||7||0||colspan="2"|—||19||0 |- |[[2025 J1 League|2025]] |16||1||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||17||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !28!!1!!1!!0!!7!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!36!!1 |- |[[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] |[[2025–26 Scottish Premiership|2025–26]] |[[Scottish Premiership]] |1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !29!!1!!1!!0!!7!!0!!0!!0!!37!!1 |}
{{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{CelticFC|players/hayato-inamura}}
{{FC Tokyo squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inamura, Hayato}} [[Category:2002 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen]] [[Category:Japanese men's footballers]] [[Category:Football people from Tokyo]] [[Category:Men's association football central defenders]] [[Category:J1 League players]] [[Category:FC Tokyo players]] [[Category:Albirex Niigata players]] [[Category:Celtic F.C. players]] [[Category:Japanese expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Scotland]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland]]