A-League expansion club Auckland FC have revealed their first overseas import with the signing of Japanese international full-back Hiroki Sakai.
Sakai (34) has played in three FIFA Men’s World Cups, at two Olympic Games and was judged to be the Most Valuable Player at the 2022 AFC Champions League. He has made 75 full international appearances for Japan.
Previously with Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds, Sakai has had experience with European clubs Hannover 96 and Olympique de Marseille.
He made 96 appearances in the German Budesliga, and more than 145 appearances in France’s Ligue 1 competition.
Auckland FC head coach Steve Corica said: “Hiroki is a highly regarded, extremely hard-working and technically gifted player who covers an undeliverable amount of ground. Tactically he is also a very well-disciplined player,”
“It is a big coup for the football club. There were several teams vying for his signature. We can’t wait to see him training with the boys and will do all we can to help him settle into life in Auckland.”
Sakai said: “I’ve heard Auckland is an amazing city to live in and I have always wanted to play in the A-League. I had made the choice to pursue new goals and challenges so when this opportunity came up, it was a natural career progression for me, and the right move for my young family.”
Hiroki Sakai J-League highlights reel
Sakai’s signing brings to 18 the number of players contracted to the A-League newcomers.
READ MORE: Pre-season starts for coach Steve Corica and his growing Auckland FC squad >>>>
Auckland FC signings
- Jake Brimmer (26), midfielder, Australian age-group international and former Johnny Warren Medal winner who has left Melbourne City to join Auckland.
- Callan Elliot (24), full back, former Wellington Phoenix player whose last club was Scotland’s Motherwell, and has played three full internationals for New Zealand.
- Joey Champness (27), winger, joins from Turkish club Adnaspor, and has nine caps for New Zealand.
- Scott Galloway (29), full back, an Australian U-23 international and former Wellington Phoenix player who joins from Melbourne City.
- Cam Howieson (29), midfielder, long-time captain of OFC Champions League winners Auckland City, and 20 caps for the All Whites.
- Francis De Vries (29), left back, joins from Eastern Suburbs and six appearances for New Zealand.
- Michael Woud (25), goalkeeper, most recently with Japanese club Kyoto Sanga, and six caps for the national team.
- Jesse Randall (21), left wing, joins from national champions Wellington Olympic, and has six caps for New Zealand.
- Tommy Smith (34), defender, pro career with clubs in the UK and United States, and 55 caps for New Zealand.
- Max Mata (23), striker, overseas experience in Switzerland, Estonia, Ireland and UK, with 14 appearances for the All Whites.
- Dan Hall (25), centre back, joins from treble-winning Central Coast Mariners.
Scholarship signings are:
- Luis Toomey (22), attacking midfielder, signed from Eastern Suburbs. Formerly with the Wellington Phoenix youth set-up, he spent six months with Finnish club Pallo-Iirot.
- Liam Gillion (21), winger, signed from Auckland City. Gillion joined Auckland City after playing junior football for Manurewa and youth football for Wellington’s Western Suburbs.
- Finn McKenlay (18), midfielder, signed from Eastern Suburbs. Previous clubs include Birkenhead United, East Coast Bays and Onehunga Sports. Selected for the national team for July’s OFC Men’s U-19 Championship.
- Adama Coulibaly (19), midfielder/defender, signed from Western Springs. He’s been included in the New Zealand team for the OFC Men’s U-19 Championship in July.
- Oliver Middleton (18), midfielder, signed from Auckland United, where he has come through the club’s academy. Another selected for the national team for the OFC Men’s U-19 Championship.
- Jonty Bidois (19), forward, signed from Tauranga City. One of the leading goalscorers in this season’s Northern League, he played for Christchurch United in last year’s Men’s National League.
About Auckland FC
Auckland FC is majority owned by Texas billionaire Bill Foley, with former All Black Ali Williams and businesswoman Anna Mowbray as local co-owners.
Known as the Black Knights, Auckland FC will play their home games at Mt. Smart’s Go Media Stadium when the 2024-25 season starts in October 2024.
The 2024-25 Isuzu-UTE A-League season kicks off in October and Auckland FC inaugural season memberships are now on sale at the club’s website.
Auckland FC is the latest club in Foley’s growing sports portfolio, which also includes AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League, a significant investment in FC Lorient of France’s Ligue 1, and Hibernian FC in the Scottish Premier League.
The club will enter the Liberty A-League women for the 2025-26 season.
This story was first published on July 25, 2024.
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