Riku Handa

Riku Handa
半田陸
Personal information
Full name	Riku Handa
Date of birth	1 January 2002 (age 24)
Place of birth	Yamagata, Japan
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Gamba Osaka
Number	3
Youth career
2014–2019	Montedio Yamagata
Senior career*
Years	Team
2019–2022	Montedio Yamagata
2023–	Gamba Osaka
International career‡
2018	Japan U16
2019	Japan U19
2022–	Japan U23
Medal record
Representing Japan
AFC U-16 Championship
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 9 August 2026; ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 June 2022

Riku Handa (半田陸, Handa Riku; born 1 January 2002) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right-back for J1 League club Gamba Osaka.

Club career

Handa started his career with Montedio Yamagata Youth and was given his first professional contract for Montedio Yamagata in March 2019. He made his first-team debut in May 2019, coming on as a late substitute for Kai Miki in a J2 League game against JEF United Chiba. In July of the same year, he made his first start for the club in the second round of the Emperor's Cup in a 2–1 defeat to Tochigi SC. Handa went on to play six times in his debut season.

In the 2020 season, Handa played 15 times for Montedio Yamagata but 2021 was his breakthrough year – playing in 37 games and being in the starting XI on 36 occasions. He also scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat to V-Varen Nagasaki and went on to score three goals during the rest of the season. In the 2022 season, Handa was again a key member of the starting XI, playing more than 3000 minutes over 37 games. He made a total of 95 appearances in four seasons with Yamagata.

In January 2023, Handa signed for J1 League club Gamba Osaka.

International career

In March 2023, Handa was called up to the Japan national team for the first time by manager Hajime Moriyasu to play in the 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup.

On 4 April 2024, Handa was called up to the Japan U23 squad for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

Career statistics

Club

As of end of 2024 season

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Montedio Yamagata	2019	J2 League	5	0	1	0	–		6	0
	2020	J2 League	15	0	0	0	–		15	0
	2021	J2 League	37	3	0	0	–		37	3
	2022	J2 League	37	0	0	0	–		37	0
	Total		94	3	1	0	0	0	95	3
Gamba Osaka	2023	J1 League	23	1	0	0	4	1	27	2
2024	J1 League	24	1	3	0	0	0	27	1
Total		47	2	3	0	4	1	54	3
Career total			141	5	4	0	4	1	149	6

Honours

Japan U16

AFC U-16 Championship: 2018

Japan U23

AFC U-23 Asian Cup: 2024

References

↑ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Japan" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
↑ "半田陸：モンテディオ山形：Ｊリーグ.jp". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "山形、ユース所属DF半田陸とプロ契約締結「山形のために闘います」". サッカーキング (in Japanese). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "Soccer D.B. : 2019 J2 League 19/05/12 Montedio Yamagata - JEF United Chiba Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "Soccer D.B. : 2019 Emperors Cup 19/07/03 Montedio Yamagata - Tochigi SC Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "Soccer D.B. : 2021 J2 League 21/04/21 Montedio Yamagata - V-Varen Nagasaki Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "半田陸選手モンテディオ山形より完全移籍加入のお知らせ". ガンバ大阪オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "G大阪が山形の"生え抜き"DF半田陸を獲得「初めての大阪なので飲食店や温泉など教えていただけると嬉しいです」". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
↑ "SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) squad - KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2023 vs Uruguay (3/24＠Tokyo) vs Colombia (3/28＠Osaka)". www.jfa.jp (in Japanese). 15 March 2023.
↑ "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップカタール2024" [U-23 Japan National Team Squad List (4.6-5.4 Qatar/Doha) AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024] (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 4 April 2024.
↑ "Soccer D.B. : 2022 Riku Handa Result by Season". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

External links

Riku Handa at Soccerway
Riku Handa at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)

This biographical article related to a Japanese association football defender born in the 2000s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[1] "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Japan" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.

[2] "半田陸：モンテディオ山形：Ｊリーグ.jp". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[3] "山形、ユース所属DF半田陸とプロ契約締結「山形のために闘います」". サッカーキング (in Japanese). 11 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[4] "Soccer D.B. : 2019 J2 League 19/05/12 Montedio Yamagata - JEF United Chiba Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[5] "Soccer D.B. : 2019 Emperors Cup 19/07/03 Montedio Yamagata - Tochigi SC Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[6] "Soccer D.B. : 2021 J2 League 21/04/21 Montedio Yamagata - V-Varen Nagasaki Results, Players, Highlight". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[7] "半田陸選手モンテディオ山形より完全移籍加入のお知らせ". ガンバ大阪オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[8] "G大阪が山形の"生え抜き"DF半田陸を獲得「初めての大阪なので飲食店や温泉など教えていただけると嬉しいです」". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.

[9] "SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) squad - KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2023 vs Uruguay (3/24＠Tokyo) vs Colombia (3/28＠Osaka)". www.jfa.jp (in Japanese). 15 March 2023.

[10] "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップカタール2024" [U-23 Japan National Team Squad List (4.6-5.4 Qatar/Doha) AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024] (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 4 April 2024.

[11] "Soccer D.B. : 2022 Riku Handa Result by Season". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 30 January 2023.