Yuki Abe

Yūki Abe in the jersey of Leicester City (2011)

Abe Yūki (Japanese阿 部 勇 树, Abe Yūki, born September 6, 1981 in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture) is a Japanese football player. Currently he is active for the English club Leicester City in the Football League Championship.

Abe played for FC Ichikawa and youth from JEF United Ichihara Chiba, before he was admitted to the professional team of JEF United Ichihara Chiba in 1998. He played until 2006 in Chiba and was appointed there also an international player. With them he won the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup in 2005 and 2006. Chiba For Abe graduated 214 league games and scored 36 goals.

In 2007 he moved to the reigning champions Urawa Red Diamonds. Unlike JEF Abe was used in Urawa as a defender. In his first season for Urawa He completed 33 games. With Urawa he also won the AFC Champions League 2007 where he scored against the Iranian representatives Sepahan Isfahan, in the second final match at Saitama Stadium for the decisive 2-0 Urawa. In December he finished with Urawa the third place at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan behind the Boca Juniors and AC Milan against which they were eliminated in the semifinals.

On 26 August 2010 Abe joined the English club Leicester City in the second-class Football League Championship 2010/11.

National

Yūki Abe was a player of the team of Japan to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He managed a goal in the group stage match against Italy.

His national team debut came under Zico on January 29, 2005 against Kazakhstan. Since then, he played 28 games, scored two goals and was employed in the qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2006, the Kirin Cup 2007, Asia Cup 2007 as well as in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Abe plays like the Reds mostly left-back.

Awards

• J.League Best XI: 2005, 2006, 2007