| Ryotaro Nakano | |
| Birth Date: | 13 June 1988 |
| Birth Place: | Koganei, Tokyo, Japan |
| Height: | 1.77 m |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Youthyears1: | 2005–2007 |
| Youthclubs1: | FC Tokyo |
| Youthyears2: | 2007–2011 |
| Youthclubs2: | Waseda University |
| Years1: | 2011–2013 |
| Caps1: | 28 |
| Goals1: | 11 |
| Years2: | 2012 |
| Clubs2: | → Arka Gdynia (loan) |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2012 |
| Clubs3: | → Arka Gdynia II (loan) |
| Caps3: | 8 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2013–2016 |
| Clubs4: | Daugavpils |
| Caps4: | 79 |
| Goals4: | 33 |
| Years5: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs5: | Jelgava |
| Caps5: | 24 |
| Goals5: | 2 |
| Years6: | 2017 |
| Clubs6: | Chonburi |
| Caps6: | 29 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2018 |
| Clubs7: | Jelgava |
| Caps7: | 19 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2019 |
| Clubs8: | Thai Honda |
| Caps8: | 12 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs9: | Jelgava |
| Caps9: | 20 |
| Goals9: | 2 |
| Totalcaps: | 219 |
| Totalgoals: | 48 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2004 |
| Nationalteam1: | Japan U16 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2005 |
| Nationalteam2: | Japan U17 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2006 |
| Nationalteam3: | Japan U18 |
| Nationalteam4: | Japan U19 |
is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.[1]
Nakano started his career with FC Tokyo while studying at the Waseda University. He moved to Germany in 2011 to join 6th division side Pommern Greifswald.[2] He was loaned to Ekstraklasa side Arka Gdynia in 2012,[3] [4] but left less than five months later, without a first team appearance.[5] [6]
He moved to Latvia in 2013, joining Latvian First League side BFC Daugavpils. In his first season, Nakano managed a 1:1 goal ratio, scoring 26 goals in 26 games as his team were promoted to the Latvian Higher League.[2] He earned a transfer to fellow Latvian side FK Jelgava in January 2016,[7] and was included in the 2016 Latvian Higher League team of the season.[8]
Despite his good performances, Nakano struggled with the freezing weather in Latvia, as temperatures dipped to −25° in the winter. He was offered a move to Thai League side Chonburi F.C. in 2017, an opportunity which he took.[9]
Nakano has represented Japan at numerous youth levels,[2] [9] and was called up to represent a Japan XI against the Nepal national football team in 2016.[10]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Pommern Greifswald | 2011–12 | NOFV-Oberliga Nord | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 2012–13 | NOFV-Oberliga Nord | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 28 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 11 | |||
| Arka Gdynia (loan) | 2011–12 | Ekstraklasa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Arka Gdynia II (loan) | 2011–12[11] | IV liga Pomerania | 8 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Daugavpils | 2013 | Latvian First League | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 26 | ||
| 2014 | Latvian First League | 31 | 5 | 1[12] | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 32 | 6 | |||
| 2015 | Latvian First League | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |||
| Total | 79 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 34 | |||
| Jelgava | 2016 | Latvian First League | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6[13] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |
| Chonburi | 2017 | Thai League 1 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Jelgava | 2018 | Latvian First League | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Thai Honda | 2019 | Thai League 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Jelgava | 2021 | Latvian First League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | Latvian First League | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |||
| Total | 20 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 219 | 48 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 237 | 49 | |||
Jelgava
2022