Ko Itakura: Who is the Japan and Borussia Mönchengladbach defender?
Ko Itakura returns to Borussia Mönchengladbach as Japanese international captain. We plot his route to becoming a defensive pillar, which includes a spell at Manchester City.
Age: 29 (born 27 January 1997)
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position: Centre-back, defensive midfield
Country: Japan (42 caps/ 2 goals)
Stats correct as of 20 August 2026
Key Stats
The Yokohama native joined Kawasaki Frontale as a boy and was on their books until 2019. After making his debut in 2016, he appeared five times as a substitute in Kawasaki's championship-winning 2017 season.
He was sent on loan the following year, scoring three times in 24 league games for fellow J1 League club Vegalta Sendai. The 6'2" defender - who can also play as a holding midfielder - moved to Manchester City in January 2019, and was immediately loaned out to Dutch side Groningen.
Having taken six months to settle in, Itakura spent the next two seasons on loan in the Netherlands as well. He featured 22 times in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2019/20, and played every minute of the 2020/21 league campaign to help Groningen finish seventh.
A loan move to Schalke followed and things could hardly have gone better for Itakura, who played 31 times - 26 as a centre-back - and scored four goals as Die Knappen won Bundesliga 2 and returned to the Bundesliga at the first time of asking.
His exploits in Gelsenkirchen caught the eye of Gladbach, who secured Itakura's services on a permanent basis in summer 2022. He soon became a key member of the Foals' defence, making 47 appearances across all competitions in his first two seasons at Borussia-Park.
Watch: The best of Ko Itakura
The 2024/25 campaign was Itakura's most impressive in a Gladbach shirt to date. The defender started all of his 33 outings in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup, earning him a move to Ajax that summer. However, after 26 appearances in all competitions for the Dutch giants, the 29-year-old opted to rejoin Gladbach on a four-year deal.
Itakura's progress at international level has been steady too. He made his debut for Japan's senior team in their 2019 Copa America game against Uruguay, before representing his country at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, impressing at centre-back as the hosts reached the last four.
He was named as part of the Japan squad for the FIFA World Cup 2022, and assisted Takuma Asano for the winning goal as the Samurai Blue defeated Germany 2-1. He captained Japan in two of their four games at the 2026 tournament, but missed the round-of-32 defeat to Brazil through injury.
Plays a bit like: John Stones
Rangy and quick over the ground, Itakura makes defending look easy. His composure on the ball and ability to break defensive lines with accurate passes is reminiscent of current Inter Milan defender and former Man City team-mate Stones.
Itakura never played alongside the England defender while on City's books, but he might just have learned a thing or two from the Barnsley-born star, who famously transformed from a traditional centre-back into a fluid defensive-midfielder/inverted full-back under Pep Guardiola.
Did you know?
Itakura was by no means the first Japanese player to line out for Schalke, while Gladbach have also had plenty of Samurai Blue stars in their ranks down the years.
His summer 2025 move to Ajax was a momentous one, however, as Itakura became the first player from the Land of the Rising Sun to represent the famous Eredivisie outfit.
What they're saying
"We were already considering bringing Ko Itakura back to Borussia over the winter. What sounded like a bold plan at the time has since become reality." - Gladbach's head of sport Rouven Schröder
"The reason I asked Itakura to take over [as captain] was because he is someone who has been putting effort into fighting together on the pitch and off the pitch." - Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu on giving Itakura the armband
"Becoming the first Japanese player in our club's history is a special milestone. Ko brings the experience and stability we need in our backline." - Ajax technical director Alex Kroes in 2025
