Yamaguchi Hotaru

Yamaguchi Hotaru came through Cerezo Osaka's academy, making his professional debut there in 2009 and staying with the club until a move abroad in January 2016, when he joined Hannover 96 in Germany. He returned to Cerezo Osaka that same July, then left on a free transfer to Vissel Kobe in January 2019, where he settled as a regular, making 192 league appearances and scoring 23 goals over six seasons.

His trophy collection reflects that spread across three clubs. With Cerezo Osaka he won the Emperor's Cup and the J.League Cup in 2017, followed by the Japanese Super Cup in 2018. At Vissel Kobe he added the J1 League title in both 2023 and 2024, another Emperor's Cup in 2019 and 2024, and the Japanese Super Cup in 2020. He was named to the J.League Best XI three times, in 2013, 2017 and 2023, spanning both clubs.

Yamaguchi also had a long international career, earning 48 caps and scoring 3 goals for Japan between 2013 and 2019, with his final appearance coming in a friendly against Venezuela in November of that year. Earlier, he was part of the Japan under-23 side that won gold at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, and he featured in the Japan squad that finished fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In 2013 he was named Most Valuable Player as Japan won the EAFF East Asian Cup.

Born in Nabari, Mie Prefecture, he was already picking up individual honours as a teenager, winning the JFA Prince League Under-18 MVP award in 2008 before he had even made his senior bow.