Shinji Okazaki
The forward whose overhead strike against Newcastle helped seal Leicester City's historic 2015–16 Premier League title.
Shinji Okazaki joined Leicester City on 26 June 2015 for a fee believed to be around £7 million. He made his debut on 8 August 2015 in a 4–2 win against Sunderland and scored his first goal the following week against West Ham United. On 19 December 2015, he scored the winner in a 3–2 victory over Everton at Goodison Park, helping Leicester top the table at Christmas. His most famous strike came on 14 March 2016: an overhead kick against Newcastle United that won the game 1–0 and moved Leicester five points clear at the top of the Premier League. The team went on to win the league that year, making Okazaki the second Japanese player to win the Premier League after Shinji Kagawa.
- Character Role
- Forward
- Affiliation
- Leicester City FC (2015-2019)
- Key Era
- The Premier League Title Season (2015-16)
- Status
- Retired from Senior Football
- National Origin
- Japan
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Okazaki scored his first goal for Leicester in a 2–1 win over West Ham United. He netted the winner against Everton on 19 December 2015 to ensure Leicester topped the table at Christmas. His spectacular overhead strike against Newcastle United on 14 March 2016 secured a 1–0 victory and took the team five points clear at the top of the Premier League. He was released by Leicester at the end of the 2018–19 season.
In Their Own Story
On 14 March 2016, Okazaki scored a spectacular overhead strike against Newcastle United in a league fixture. The goal won the game 1–0 and took Leicester City five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. This moment was part of the season where the club went on to win the league, making Okazaki the second Japanese player to achieve this feat after Shinji Kagawa.
Reader's Guide
Okazaki arrived at Leicester City on 26 June 2015 and made his debut on 8 August 2015. He scored his first goal for the club against West Ham United a week later. His contributions included scoring the winner against Everton in December 2015 and netting a crucial overhead strike against Newcastle United in March 2016. These efforts helped Leicester win the Premier League title in the 2015–16 season. He was released by the club at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Did You Know?
- Okazaki scored a spectacular overhead strike against Newcastle United on 14 March 2016 that won the game 1–0.
- His goal against Everton on 19 December 2015 ensured Leicester City topped the Premier League table at Christmas.
- He became the second Japanese player to win the Premier League after Shinji Kagawa when Leicester won the title in 2016.
- Okazaki scored his first goal for Leicester in a 2–1 win against West Ham United, just one week after his debut.
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