Ryōya Morishita (森下 龍矢, Morishita Ryōya; born 11 April 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers and the Japan national team.[2]
.jpg) Morishita in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 April 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Shizuoka, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2009 | Kakegawa JFC 01 | ||
| 2010–2015 | Júbilo Iwata | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Meiji University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | Sagan Tosu | 33 | (3) |
| 2021–2024 | Nagoya Grampus | 87 | (5) |
| 2024 | → Legia Warsaw (loan) | 30 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | Legia Warsaw | 18 | (3) |
| 2025– | Blackburn Rovers | 37 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Japan | 3 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:20, 2 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 June 2025 | |||
Club career
editSagan Tosu
editOn 3 August 2019, Morishita was promoted to the Sagan Tosu first team from the 2020 season.[3] He made his league debut for the club on 22 February 2020 against Kawasaki Frontale.[4] Morishita scored his first league goal against FC Tokyo on 1 August 2020.[5]
Nagoya Grampus
editLegia Warsaw
editMorishita moved to Legia Warsaw on 9 January 2024 on loan.[8] He was the first Japanese player in Legia's history, and the fourteenth in the Polish Ekstraklasa.[9] On 9 February 2024, he made his debut with the club, in an away 1–0 victory over Ruch Chorzów at Stadion Śląski.[10] On 8 August 2024, he scored his first goal for Legia during the third elimination round for the UEFA Conference League in a 2–3 away victory over Brøndby IF. Morishita scored his first goal in Ekstraklasa three days later, in a 2–2 draw against Puszcza Niepołomice.[11]
On 17 December 2024, Morishita signed a contract until the end of 2028–29 season after Legia exercised his release clause.[12][13][14] Morishita scored two goals and provided an assist in the Polish Cup quarterfinal against Jagiellonia Białystok. On 2 May 2025, in the final of the competition, he scored a goal and provided two assists against Pogoń Szczecin. Legia won the match 4–3, securing the club's 21st Polish Cup trophy. Morishita was named the Player of the Match.[15]
Blackburn Rovers
editOn 25 August 2025, Morishita joined English club Blackburn Rovers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[16] He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 home defeat to Norwich City.[17][18] He made his full debut starting against Watford on 13 September where he scored a 47th minute winner in a 1–0 away win.[19]
Morishita scored four goals and registered nine assists in 37 Championship appearances during the season. In a 3–1 win over Queens Park Rangers, he assisted Mathias Jørgensen for the opening goal before scoring his first header in senior football.[20] He played a key role in Rovers securing their EFL Championship status in a 3–1 win over Sheffield United, assisting fellow Japanese forward Yūki Ōhashi for the opener before scoring from the rebound after Ryan Alebiosu's initial effort.[21] Morishita was later named 2025–26 player of the season with 38% of the vote.[22]
International career
edit.jpg)
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 2 May 2026[24]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Meiji University | 2019 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Sagan Tosu | 2020 | J1 League | 33 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 3 | |||
| Nagoya Grampus | 2021 | J1 League | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |
| 2022 | J1 League | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 1 | |||
| 2023 | J1 League | 33 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 5 | |||
| Total | 87 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 10 | ||
| Legia Warsaw | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 13 | 0 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 31 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | 15[d] | 4 | — | 51 | 13 | |||
| 2025–26 | Ekstraklasa | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 7[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Total | 48 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 78 | 14 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2025–26 | Championship | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 4 | ||
| 2026–27 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 4 | ||||
| Career total | 205 | 19 | 16 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 272 | 28 | ||
- Notes
- ↑ Includes Emperor's Cup, Polish Cup, FA Cup
- ↑ Includes J.League Cup, EFL Cup
- ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League
- 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- ↑ Six appearances in UEFA Europa League, one appearance in UEFA Conference League
- ↑ Appearance in Polish Super Cup
International
edit- As of match played 10 June 2025[25]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | |||
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Morishita goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2025 | Suita City Football Stadium, Suita, Japan |  Indonesia | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
edit- Nagoya Grampus
Legia Warsaw
Individual
References
edit- ↑ "Ryoya Morishita" (in Japanese). Nagoya Grampus. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ↑ "Ryoya Morishita wypożyczony do końca 2024 roku" (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ↑ "森下龍矢選手(明治大学)2020シーズン 新加入内定のお知らせ" [Ryuya Morishita (Meiji University) has been selected as a new member for the 2020 season]. www.sagan-tosu.net (in Japanese).
- ↑ "大卒ルーキーが感じた川崎Fの凄さ…開幕スタメンデビューの鳥栖DF森下龍矢「3つのポイントが格段に違った」" [The greatness of Kawasaki F as felt by a university graduate rookie... Tosu DF Ryuya Morishita, who made his opening start, said, "Three points were extremely different"]. web.gekisaka.jp (in Japanese).
- ↑ "明大出身ルーキーが未勝利鳥栖を救った! プロ初ゴールのDF森下龍矢「W杯で"最強明治"が日本を勝たせたい」" [Meiji University rookie saves winless Tosu! Defender Morishita Ryuya scores first professional goal: "I want the strongest Meiji to help Japan win the World Cup"]. web.gekisaka.jp (in Japanese).
- ↑ "Ryoya MORISHITA announces transfer". nagoya-grampus.jp (in Japanese).
- ↑ "森下龍矢「きりがないくらい思い出」 ユース時代過ごした磐田との初対戦へ燃える【J1名古屋】" [Ryuya Morishita "has so many memories" - fired up for first match against Iwata, the team he played against in his youth team [J1 Nagoya]]. nagoya-grampus.jp (in Japanese).
- ↑ "Ryoya Morishita wypożyczony do Legii". legionisci.com (in Polish). 9 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ↑ Kamieniecki, Piotr (22 December 2023). "Legia ma nowego piłkarza! To reprezentant azjatyckiego kraju". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ↑ "Debiut Morishity w Legii". legionisci.com (in Polish). 9 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ↑ "Ryōya Morishita (season 2024–25)". www.90minut.pl. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ↑ Czaplewski, Jacek (17 December 2024). "Legia Warszawa ogłosiła pierwszy transfer. To Ryoya Morishita został wykupiony". Gol24 (in Polish). Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ↑ Galiński, Tomasz (17 December 2024). "Legia wykupiła zawodnika. Jest oficjalny komunikat". sportowefakty.wp.pl. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ↑ "Legia Warszawa wykupiła Morishitę". Do Rzeczy (in Polish). 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- 1 2 "Mamy to! - legionisci.com". legionisci.com (in Polish). 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ↑ "Ryoya is a Rover!". Blackburn Rovers. 25 August 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ↑ "Report: Rovers 0–2 Norwich City". Blackburn Rovers F.C. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ↑ "Team news: Rovers v Norwich City". Blackburn Rovers F.C. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ↑ "Watford 0–1 Blackburn". BBC Sport. 13 September 2025.
- ↑ "QPR 1-3 Blackburn (Feb 14, 2026) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sheffield United 1-3 Blackburn: Yuki Ohashi double steers Rovers to victory as they secure Championship status". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Mori crowned Player of the Year!". www.rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Japan vs Indonesia - 10 June 2025". www.the-afc.com.
- ↑ Ryōya Morishita at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ↑ "Ryoya Morishita". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ↑ Piegza, Michał (13 July 2025). "Legia Warszawa zdobywcą Superpucharu Polski!". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ "Strzelcy". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2 May 2025.
External links
edit- Ryōya Morishita at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)
