Daichi Kamada has never been a man of many words, instead preferring to do his talking out on the pitch. The Japanese midfielder arrived in Frankfurt from Sagan Tosu in the summer of 2017 at the age of 20, and just two years later his career trajectory was firmly on the up.
In his first season at the club in 2017/18, Kamada was a member of the first-team squad but not yet a regular in the starting line-up as the side went on to win the DFB Cup in 2018. He spent the following campaign on loan at Belgian side VV St. Truiden, where he continued his adaptation to European football.
Upon his return to Frankfurt in 2019, the graceful dribbler was unrecognisable. Not only was Kamada now more robust and self-confident, but he was also increasingly efficient. It was a combination that in his final season at the club almost made the 1.84-metre attacker predestined to shine, be it in attacking midfield alongside Mario Götze or Jesper Lindström, or further back next to Djibril Sow.
Eintracht’s Japanese players in the Bundesliga
- Makoto Hasebe: 290 games
- Daichi Kamada: 127 games
- Takashi Inui: 75 games
- Junichi Inamoto: 43 games
The 26-year-old’s statistics underline his status as an elite-level player. He made 179 competitive appearances for Eintracht, including 127 in the Bundesliga, and his 40 goals across that period make him the highest-scoring player in the squad.
Kamada in form
If, for a time, Kamada had a reputation for reserving his best performances for the European stage – his brace in the 2-1 UEFA Europa League win at Arsenal in 2019/20 and his hat-trick in a 4-1 triumph over Salzburg in the knockout rounds are particularly unforgettable – he was able to shed that misconception in 2022/23. Reaching the peak of his powers at Eintracht, Kamada registered a personal-best nine league goals in the recently ended season, contributing a further six assists, en route to 16 goals and seven assists in all competitions throughout the campaign
Kamada scored what was arguably his most important goal on 18 May 2022, when he netted his penalty to make it 3-3 in the shootout in Sevilla. An extraordinarily important goal from an extraordinary player.
Eintracht Frankfurt says thank you!
Arigatō Daichi!
