Kotaro Honda
Full name in native alphabet: 本多 康太郎
Country: Japan
Date of birth: 20/05/2006 (17 years old)
Place of birth: Japan
Height: 187cm
Youth career: Shonan Bellmare
Current club: Shonan Bellmare
Squad number: —
Current national team: Japan U-17
Position: central defender
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Tournaments participated in: 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup (5/0), 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup (4/0)
Contract until: unknown
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Stefan Savić
Strengths:
– anticipation 
– aerial duels
– physicality
– positioning
– pace 
– tackling
To improve:
– progressive passing and technical improvement
Style of play:
– no-nonsense centre-back
– player with a good body mass ratio, who can develop very well physically in the coming years
– not the fastest over the first meters, but he possesses decent top speed
– prefers an active style of defending by getting into challenges and playing close to/pressing opponents
– often cuts or intercepts passes /crosses and makes important blocks near or inside his penalty area thanks to his anticipation, determination, and positioning
– concentrated and willing to sacrifice
– likes to play it simple in the build-up and usually doesn’t take unnecessary risk on the ball
– knows how to use his body strength in challenges/wins most of the physical duels
– extremely dominant in the air
– indirect set piece threat
– positively aggressive, usually plays clean, and doesn’t get booked often
– mature, concentrated, determined, and committed player/potential leader of the defensive line
´Honda saves his team with a superb last-man tackle.
Honda leaves the line, anticipates well, and intercepts the ball.
Honda reacts quickly and makes a fantastic block to save his team from conceding.
Heatmap by Wyscout:
He is best suited to playing as:
Central defender in 4-3-3.
Video:
Achievements:
2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup winner with Japan.
League summary (as for 25 April 2024):
No senior team appearances yet.
Description:
Kotaro Honda is considered to be one of the most talented U17s in Asia. He is a product of the Shanon Bellmare youth academy. In June 2023, he was an important member of the Japanese team at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, where young Samurais won the gold medal in great style and showed a very interesting generation of players such as Ryunosuke Sato, Yumeki Yoshinaga, Yotaro Nakajima, Kotaro Hinda, Gaku Nawata, Yutaka Michiwaki, Ryunosuke Yada, Shuto Nagano, and Keita Kosugi. A few months later, Kotaro represented his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where Japan made it to the round of 16 but lost to a very strong Spanish side.
Quotes:
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Football Talent Scout potential rating:
Country-scale star with top European league ambition.
Links: