View source for Naoki Imaya

{{short description|Japanese footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name= Naoki Imaya <br> 今矢 直城
| image =
| fullname = Naoki Imaya
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1980|6|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Tokyo]], Japan
| height = {{height|m=1.79}}
| currentclub  = [[Tochigi City FC]] (manager)
| position = [[Striker (football)|Striker]], [[Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 2000 
| years2 = 2001 
| years3 = 2002 
| years4 = 2002 
| years5 = 2003 
| years6 = 2003–2004 
| years7 = 2004 
| years8 = 2005 
| years9 = 2005–2006 
| years10 = 2006 
| years11 = 2007–2008
| clubs1 = [[Blacktown City Demons|Blacktown City]] 
| clubs2 = [[Canberra Cosmos]] 
| clubs3 = [[Blacktown City Demons|Blacktown City]] 
| clubs4 = [[Adelaide Galaxy]] 
| clubs5 = [[Blacktown City Demons|Blacktown City]] 
| clubs6 = [[Neuchâtel Xamax]] 
| clubs7 = [[FC La Chaux-de-Fonds|La Chaux-de-Fonds]] 
| clubs8 = [[Blacktown City Demons|Blacktown City]] 
| clubs9 = [[New Zealand Knights FC|New Zealand Knights]] 
| clubs10 = [[Marconi Stallions]] 
| clubs11 = [[VfB Lübeck]]
| caps1 = 25  
| caps2 = 21  
| caps3 = 22  
| caps4 = 10  
| caps5 = 22  
| caps6 = 8  
| caps7 = 12  
| caps8 = 11  
| caps9 = 11  
| caps10 = 
| caps11 = 12  
| goals1 = 6  
| goals2 = 3  
| goals3 = 6  
| goals4 = 4  
| goals5 = 1  
| goals6 = 0  
| goals7 = 0  
| goals8 = 4  
| goals9 = 0  
| goals10 = 
| goals11 = 0
|manageryears1 = 2010–2017
|managerclubs1 = [[Waseda United]]
|manageryears2 = 2022–
|managerclubs2 = [[Tochigi City FC]]
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Naoki Imaya'''|今矢 直城|Imaya Naoki|born 18 June 1980}} is a Japanese football manager and former [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[midfielder]] or [[Forward (association football)#Striker|forward]]. He currently manager of {{Japanese football updater|TochigiC}} club, [[Tochigi City FC]].

==Career==
As a child he moved to Sydney Australia with his parents at age 10. He played for various Australian clubs before moving to [[Switzerland]]. He played in the first season of the [[A-League]] with the [[New Zealand Knights FC|New Zealand Knights]] before returning to [[NSW]] state league football with [[Marconi Stallions]].<ref>[http://spawningsalmon.blogspot.com/2009/04/naoki-imayas-football-vision.html Naoki Imaya's Football Vision]</ref>

In July 2007 he signed a contract with [[VfB Lübeck]], a traditional club from [[Lübeck]] in the federal state of [[Schleswig-Holstein]] playing in the 3rd German [[Regionalliga Nord]].<ref>[http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/imayanaoki/ Naoki Imaya – Fussballdaten – Die Fußball-Datenbank]</ref> He was released by the club after six months due to financial problems.<ref>[http://www.tribalfootball.com/cultural-divide-changing-between-australia-and-japan-238490 Cultural divide changing between Australia and Japan]</ref>

==Managerial career==
Imaya is now coaching football to young children in Japan and no longer pursuing a professional career.<ref>[http://www.naocastle.com/blog/ Nao Castle]</ref>

On 12 November 2021, Imaya announcement officially appointed manager of [[Tochigi City FC]] in the [[Kantō Soccer League]] Division 1 from 2022.<ref>{{Cite press release| title=【TOP】今矢直城氏 監督就任のお知らせ | url=https://tochigi-city.com/new/team/2021/11/11/%E3%80%90top%E3%80%91%E4%BB%8A%E7%9F%A2%E7%9B%B4%E5%9F%8E%E6%B0%8F%E3%80%80%E7%9B%A3%E7%9D%A3%E5%B0%B1%E4%BB%BB%E3%81%AE%E3%81%8A%E7%9F%A5%E3%82%89%E3%81%9B/ | publisher=[[栃木シティFC]] | date=2021-11-11 | accessdate=2021-11-12}}</ref> On 26 November 2023, Imaya brought his team winning [[2023 Japanese Regional Football Champions League]] after defeat [[Tsukuba FC]] 0-4 in final matchweek of RCL and promotion to [[Japan Football League]] from 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web| title=栃木・今矢監督は来季も続投 3季目はJFL挑戦 | url=https://www.tokyofootball.com/news/20231217_03.html | publisher=Tokyo Football | date=2023-12-18 | accessdate=2023-12-28}}</ref> On 17 November 2024, Imaya brought his team secure champions of [[2024 Japan Football League]] and promotion to [[J3 League]] for the first time in history from next season after defeat [[Atletico Suzuka Club|Atletico Suzuka]] 6-0 in matchweek 29 at [[Kanseki Stadium Tochigi]] as final home game, return to third tier after 11 years absence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ｊリーグ入会（Ｊ３）について：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp） |url=https://www.jleague.jp/news/article/29384 |website=Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） |access-date=2024-11-17 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ｊ３昇格決定のお知らせ |url=https://tochigi-city.com/new/2024/11/17/2024j3/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |language=ja}}</ref>

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|the match played 15 February 2025}}.<ref>[https://data.j-league.or.jp/SFIX07/?staff_id=11101 J.League Data Site]{{in lang|ja}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
|align="left"|[[Tochigi City FC]]
|align="left"|1 February 2022
|align="left"|''present''
{{WDL|87|54|16|17}}
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|87|54|16|17}}
|}

==Honours==
===Manager===
; Tochigi City FC
* [[Kantō Soccer League]] Div. 1: [[2022 Japanese Regional Leagues#Kantō|2022]]
* [[Japanese Regional Football Champions League]] : [[2023 Japanese Regional Football Champions League|2023]]
* [[Japan Football League]] : [[2024 Japan Football League|2024]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20200712035350/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/soccer/the-man-who-made-sure-ange-postecoglou-wasn-t-lost-in-translation-20191206-p53hlz.html Naoki Imaya Interview]
* [http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/100908,naokis-castle.aspx naokis-castle 442]
*[https://tochigi-city.com/member/s1/ Profile at Tochigi City FC] {{in lang|ja}}
 
{{J3 League managers}}
<!--{{Tochigi City FC managers}}-->
{{Tochigi City FC squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imaya, Naoki}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Japanese men's footballers]]
[[Category:Japanese expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany]]
[[Category:Association football people from Tokyo]]
[[Category:A-League Men players]]
[[Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players]]
[[Category:Swiss Super League players]]
[[Category:Blacktown City FC players]]
[[Category:Canberra Cosmos FC players]]
[[Category:Marconi Stallions FC players]]
[[Category:Neuchâtel Xamax FCS players]]
[[Category:New Zealand Knights FC players]]
[[Category:VfB Lübeck players]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen]]
[[Category:Japanese football managers]]
[[Category:J3 League managers]]
[[Category:Tochigi City FC managers]]

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