Top facts about Atsuto Uchida, The Japanese Legend

Atsuto Uchida is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back in his career peak time. Right now he is an experienced coach. Our Japanese footballer opened his eyes to this world on March 27, 1988, in Japan. Uchida began his professional career with the Kashima Antlers, making his debut at the age of 17 in 2006. After four years and three J1 League titles, Uchida signed a €1.3 million deal with Schalke 04 in Germany in 2010.

Uchida won the DFB-Pokal with Schalke in 2010–11 and was chosen to the Bundesliga team of the season twice between 2012 and 2014. He later played for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga before returning to his first club, Kashima Antlers, in Japan, where he retired in 2020 at the age of 32.

Uchida made his debut appearance for the Japan national football team in January 2008 and went on to make 74 appearances for his country, scoring two goals and representing them in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and 2014 FIFA World Cup. Although this can be Arsuto's life summary we have much more to tell you in our

top facts about Atsuto Uchida

. So, stay with us! 

Here we go! Top facts about Atsuto Uchida

Before we start Sportmpob's top facts about Atsuto Uchida, we will take 1 minute of your tie and check the basic information we will need when we go through this article.

• Nickname:

  Usshii

• Occupation:

  Former footballer

• Age:

  33 years old

• Zodiac Sign:

  Aries

• Born:

  27 March 1988

• Birthplace:

   Kannami, Shizuoka, Japan

• Nationality:

  Japan

• Height:

  176 cm

• Weight:

  62 Kg

• Body Measurements:

  Not Available

• Eye Color:

  Dark Brown

• Hair Color:

  Black

• Parents:

  Not Available

• Sibling:

  Not Available

• Children:

  Not Available

• Wife:

  Yuko Aoki

• Source of Income:

  Football and acting

Now that we know the basic info we needed before starting our top facts about Atsuto Uchida, its time to get into the real deal and start discovering amazing facts about the Japanese player.

A teenager who was in love with football

Uchida was born in Kannami, Shizuoka, he attended and played for Shimizu Higashi High School. Because of his quickness, he was primarily used on the wing throughout his tenure there. It wasn't until Kazuo Umeda, the school's director, shifted Uchida's position to right–back, which he played in for his entire career life. Atsuto was a smart boy too so he finished high school with flying colors and joined Kashima Antlers in 2006.

Uchida made his professional debut for Kashima on March 5, 2006, at the age of 17, in the season-opener against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, establishing his position in the starting lineup. On March 21, 2006, he scored his first goal as a professional footballer against Ventforet Kofu and rapidly established himself as a first-team regular for the side, playing in the right-back position. Atsuto went on to make 41 appearances and score two goals in all competitions by the end of the 2006 season. He was chosen to play in the 2006 J. League All-Star Soccer game based on his performance.

During the 2007 season, Uchida was able to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup as a right-back after defeating Shimizu S-Pulse 3–0 in the final game of the season to reclaim the club's nine-game winning streak. He later helped the club win the league for the first time.

In the Emperor Cup final, Uchida scored the game's first goal in a 2–0 triumph over Sanfrecce Hiroshima, giving Kashima Antlers a double. Hw was then chosen to play in the 2007 J. League All-Star Soccer game thanks to his performance. He went on to make 44 appearances and scored once in all competitions before the end of the 2007 season.

Uchida began the 2008 season by starting the entire game in the Japanese Super Cup against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. A game which was a result of Kashima Antlers lost 4–3 on penalties after the game ended 2–2 in extra time. On March 12, 2008, Atsuto made his AFC Champions League debut, starting and playing 76 minutes in a 9–1 win over Krung Thai Bank.

He set up two goals seven days later, on March 19, 2008. In his second appearance in the AFC Champions League, he scored six goals in a 6–0 victory over CLB Nam Nam. Uchida remained in the first squad, where he contributed to the team's clean sheet in the first two league games.

This lasted until he was sidelined for two to three weeks due to a hip issue. It wasn't until 11 May 2008 that Uchida returned to the starting lineup, playing 82 minutes in a 1–0 loss to Shimizu S-Pulse for Kashima Antlers. After his recovery, he quickly transitioned to the receiving position later in the season.

Uchida returned to the starting line–up against Vissel Kobe on August 27, 2008, after missing four matches due to an international commitment for the Summer Olympics. He helped Kashima Antlers win 2–1. Between September 28 and October 4, 2008, he assisted the team in keeping three clean sheets in a row. Between November 9 and December 6, 2008, Uchida assisted the team in keeping four clean sheets in a row.

The game of Luck

Whether you believe it or not, luck plays a significant role in our life so let's talk about it in this part of our

top facts about Atsuto Uchida

. Uchida was instrumental in helping the team win the league for the second time when he scored the game's winning and only goal against Oita Trinita on November 23, 2008. He was awarded J. League Best Eleven for the first time at the end of the 2008 season, after making 34 appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Uchida also inked a contract extension that would keep him with the team until 2012.

Atsuto was linked with a move away from

ahead of the 2009 season, with many European clubs interested in signing him. He had a strong start to the season, assisting on the team's 2–0 victory over

in the Japanese Super Cup.

In a 2–0 win over

in the season's first game, Uchida set up a goal for Marquinhos. The Japanese player maintained his place in the first team, playing right back. He scored his first goal of the season a month later, on April 8, 2009, in a 4–1 triumph over Warriors in the AFC Champions League.

Uchida started every match since the start of the 2009 season until he was released from the squad against JEF United Chiba on May 2, 2009, due to persistent fatigue. It happened when Uchida became tired and had to be replaced during a 5–0 victory over Armed Forces on April 22, 2009. After missing one match, he returned to the starting lineup on May 10, 2009, and played 69 minutes in a 2–1 win over

.

Uchida missed the critical penalty in the AFC Champions League round of 16 against FC Seoul a month later, resulting in the opposition team progressing to the next round after the game ended 2–2 after 120 minutes.

On 5 July 2009, he was sent off for handball against Kawasaki Frontale, resulting in a penalty that was successfully converted by Juninho to give the other team a lead, and the game ended 1–1. In a 2–2 draw against Kawasaki Frontale on July 15, 2009, Uchida returned to the starting lineup after serving a one-match suspension.

Atsuto made his 100th appearance for the team three days later, in a 2–2 draw against Shimizu S-Pulse on July 18, 2009. Halfway through the season, his performance piqued the curiosity of an unknown Serie A team, who made a 3 million euro bid. Despite this, Uchida maintained his first-team status for the remainder of the season.

Uchida put up a goal for Shinzo Koroki to score the game's sole goal in a 1–0 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds to win the league for the third consecutive season. He then was named to the J. League Best Eleven for the second time at the conclusion of 2009. He also went on to make a total of 43 appearances for the team, scoring once.

Uchida's performance continued to pique European teams' interest ahead of the 2010 season. In the midst of the transfer, he helped the team win the Japanese Super Cup by defeating Gamba Osaka 5–3 in a penalty shootout after a 120-minute encounter.

Uchida continued to play in the first team in the right-back position for the club at the start of the 2010 season, as the club continued to be in strong condition. In a 3–1 win over Persipura Jayapura on March 30, 2010, he scored his first goal of the season.

He made his comeback from a knee injury on 5 May 2010, in a 2–1 loss to Cerezo Osaka, in what would turn out to be his final league game for the club. On 12 May 2010, he made his final appearance for the club in a 1–0 loss to

. Uchida had made seventeen appearances for Kashima Antlers by the time he left, scoring once in all competitions.

The road to Germany

Moving forward is a part of our lives so Let's talk about it in this part of Sportmob's top facts about Atsuto Uchida. Schalke 04 announced on June 13, 2010, that they had signed the Japanese international to a three-year contract worth €1.3 million. This contract was signed after the sale of Rafinha to Genoa. In a 2–0 loss to Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup, Uchida made his Schalke 04 debut, playing the entire game.

He made his league debut for the club in the first game of the season, replacing Jol Matip as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 loss to Hamburger SV. Atsuto returned to the first team on September 25, 2010, in a 2–2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach, after missing the previous month due to injury.

Manager Felix Magath praised Uchida's play after his comeback to the first squad, saying, "He still lacks physical strength, but he sets the best accents forward." On September 29, 2010, he made his Champions League debut for the club, starting the entire game in a 2–0 victory over Benfica.

Uchida returned to the starting line-up in the right-back position against Stuttgart on October 16, 2010, after missing one match due to injury. The match ended in a 2–2 tie. Between December 4 and December 18, 2010, he aided the club's defense by keeping three consecutive clean sheets.

Uchida returned to the starting lineup against Borussia Dortmund on 4 February 2011 after missing the entire month of January owing to international commitments for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Uchida helped the club's defense keep a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw. Following that, he assisted the club in keeping another clean sheet in a 1–0 win over SC Freiburg. On March 12, 2011, after a 2–1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Uchida donned a jersey in reaction to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which read: "Dear Japanese friends, I'm hoping that a lot of people's lives will be saved. Let's take a stand as a group. This misfortune is aching my heart. I'll maintain contact with Japan." 

He reclaimed his first-team spot in the right-back position for the remainder of the season after returning to the first team. Uchida made history on April 13, 2011, as he became the first Japanese player to play in the Champions League semi-finals.

Even though the club did not advance to the final, Uchida came on as a late second-half substitute for Peer Kluge in the DFB-Pokal Final, where the club defeated MSV Duisburg 5–0. Uchida made a total of 43 appearances in all competitions during his debut season at Schalke 04, totaling 43 appearances.

He started the 2011–12 season on the bench for the first three league games and the DFL-Supercup, as Marco Höger was favored. On the 18th of August 2011, he made his debut appearance for the club, playing in the left-back position as Schalke 04 lost 2–0 to HJK Helsinki in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Qualification Round.

The curse of injuries

Uchida returned to his right-back position against the opposition squad and helped his club overcome a 6–1 deficit to advance to the Group Stage. He didn't make his first league appearance of the season until August 28, 2011, in a 1–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Uchida tore a muscle in his right thigh during training and was forced to sit out for a month. It wasn't until 3 November 2011 that he returned to the starting lineup, starting the entire game in a UEFA Europa League Group Stage match against AEK Larnaca. Uchida and Höger battled for the right-back position for the majority of the 2011–12 season, despite Höger's injury concerns.

Uchida regained his first-team spot at Schalke 04 later in the 2011–12 season as Höger moved to the right–midfield position. Horst Heldt, the club's general manager, said of his performance, "We have already started discussions on this." He approaches the job and club with a positive attitude. Uchida's "growth was not yet complete." Uchida made a total of 26 appearances in all competitions by the end of the 2011–12 season.

The club announced ahead of the 2012–13 season that Uchida has signed a two-year professional contract extension through June 30, 2015. He started the first two league games before being replaced by Benedikt Höwedes. Uchida returned to the starting lineup in the right-back position for the next two months.

Uchida didn't score his first goal for the club until November 3, 2012, in a 3–2 loss against 1899 Hoffenheim. He did, however, get a muscular injury and was forced to sit out for two weeks. After missing two games due to injury, Uchida returned to the starting lineup on November 24, 2012, in a 1–1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.

For the next seven games, he was able to reclaim his starting spot before suffering an injury for the second time this season. Uchida returned to the starting lineup on March 9, 2013, and played a key part in the Revierderby against Borussia Dortmund, setting up two goals in a 2–1 victory.

Next to that, he returned to the first squad for the remainder of the 2012–13 season, helping the team finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League the following season. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he has made a total of 30 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. Uchida was awarded to the Bundesliga Team of the Season for his efforts.

Uchida started the first two league games of the 2013–14 season before suffering a muscular injury from which he recovered quickly. In a 1–1 tie against PAOK in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Play-Offs Round on August 21, 2013, he made his return from injury, starting the entire game; after the match, German tabloid Der Westen gave him the lowest score of the game.

In a 3–2 win over PAOK in the return leg, he set up the open goal of the game for dám Szalai, helping the side advance to the Champions League group stage. On 18 September 2013, he scored his debut goal in the Champions League in a 3–0 win over Steaua București.

On October 5, 2013, he assisted on two goals in a 4–1 win over Augsburg. Uchida reclaimed his first-team spot for the side after his return, playing in the right-back position. However, he was forced to sit back in mid-December owing to injuries and suspension.

Uchida tore his tendon in a 2–0 win over Hannover 96 on February 9, 2014, and was forced to miss the rest of the season. He went on to make a total of 27 appearances and scored once in all competitions before the end of the 2013–14 season.

Taken down by injuries

Uchida didn't return to the first team until September 23, 2014, when he started the entire game in a 3–0 triumph over Werder Bremen. Manager Jens Keller hailed Uchida's efforts after the game, saying: "Uchida deserves a lot of credit. He didn't play for seven months and then comes back with a bang - incredible!" 

After putting in a strong showing after returning from injury, Uchida was signed to a three-year contract that would keep him with the team until 2018. Uchida set up a goal for Huntelaar to score the game's only goal in a 1–0 win over Augsburg on October 31, 2014, shortly after signing a deal. He was named October's Player of the Month for his efforts by the end of the month.

Uchida has proceeded to reclaim his first-team spot since returning from injury, playing in the right-back position. He was demoted to the substitute bench near the end of the 2014–15 season after being a part-time player. Uchida was eventually injured again, including another Patella ailment that forced him to miss the balance of the season. Uchida made a total of 20 appearances in all competitions by the end of the 2014–15 season.

The injury kept him out for six weeks. He stated he's healing by October, however, he hasn't confirmed when he'll be back. Despite returning to training in January, Uchida was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a knee ailment. 

Uchida returned to training in the pre-season tour before the 2016–17 season. His comeback to training, however, was short-lived, as he sustained another injury. 

He made his first appearance in a year on December 7, 2016, in a 2–0 loss to Red Bull Salzburg in a UEFA Europa League encounter after suffering another injury in November. This was his only appearance of the season, as he was injured twice more later in the season. Uchida was given a farewell send-off before a Schalke 04 match after departing the club after 153 appearances and two goals in all competitions.

Uchida signed a one-year contract with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on August 21, 2017. After a seven-year tenure at Schalke, he was permitted to go on a free transfer and was "financially accommodated." Uchida made his Union Berlin debut in a 3–2 loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf on September 10, 2017.

He came on as a substitute in the 75th minute and three minutes later assisted on Kaan Ayhan's own goal to give his club a brief lead. In a 1–0 loss against SV Sandhausen on September 19, he got his maiden start. Atsuto didn't play any more games before suffering a thigh injury in mid-October. He finally departed Union Berlin after only two appearances before the winter break to join former club Kashima Antlers in his native Japan.

Returning Home

After seven and a half years in Germany, Uchida went back to Kashima Antlers in 2018. He was expected to arrive in Kashima in January just in time for the start of the 2018 J1 season. In the season's first game, Uchida made his first Kashima Antlers debut in eight years, starting and playing 84 minutes in a 0–0 draw against Shimizu S-Pulse.

However, he was sidelined for a month due to a thigh injury. Uchida did not return from injury until 14 April 2018, when he started and played 77 minutes in a 2–0 victory against Nagoya Grampus. He played in the next four games until being forced to withdraw due to an injury.

Following the departure of Gen Shoji, Uchida was named the new Kashima Antlers captain ahead of the 2019 season. In his first match as captain, against Kawasaki Frontale on March 1, 2019, he set up an equalizing goal for Sho Ito in a 1–1 tie.

Between March 9 and March 30, 2019, he captained three additional matches. However, on March 30, 2019, during a 3–2 win over Jubilo Iwata, Uchida suffered a knee injury and was forced to leave the game, putting him out for several months.

He didn't return from injury until 14 August 2019, when he came on as a late substitute in a 4–0 win over Tochigi SC in the Emperor's Cup third round. Despite being placed on the substitute bench in a handful of games for the remainder of the 2019 season, Uchida has restored his captaincy role. The Kashima Antlers eventually finished third in the league. He went on to make twelve appearances in all competitions before the end of the 2019 season.

Untold facts about Atsuto Uchida

Finally, He confirmed his retirement from professional football on August 20, 2020. The Japanese footballer made his final appearance in professional against Gamba Osaka, as a 16th-minute substitute for the injured Rikuto Hirose and Kashima Antlers drew 1–1. He addressed during his retirement ceremony after the game, thanking the club and hoping that the younger generation will hear his narrative in the hopes of one day being a professional football player. Let's finish our 

top facts about Atsuto Uchida

 with some untold facts about him:

• When he was a kid, he dreamed of becoming a teacher.

• Atsuto Uchida was drinking banana juice while his teammates toasted with beer at a send-off party held before the opening of the Bundesliga in Shimoda.

• Uchida's teammate Christoph Metzelder praised Uchida as "not only a good player, but also a great human being."

• On March 12, 2011, after winning the Bundesliga Round 26 against Eintracht Frankfurt, wearing a shirt with the words "To everyone in Japan. May you save as many lives as possible. Let's live together!"

• On May 25, 2015, he announced his marriage to his elementary school classmate

• Uchida played a role in the Pokemon movie!

, a former teammate invited Uchida to drive just before he moved from Schalke to show him the location of Orbis and his favorite ice cream shop.

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