Who is Rion Ichihara... The penalty-taking centre-back wowing Liverpool scouts at the U20 World Cup

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Liverpool scouts have been watching with interest as the U20 World Cup continues in Chile this month.Reds talent-spotters have taken the chance to head out and watch some of the best young players the world has to offer in the flesh.As Rousing The Kop revealed on Wednesday, Liverpool scouts have been impressed by Rion Ichihara, a centre-back captaining Japan.Unfortunately, Ichihara and his teammates suffered heartbreak on Thursday morning as they lost out to France via a 120th-minute penalty.After such an impressive tournament, it was sadly Ichihara whose handball allowed France the chance to score from the spot and progress into the quarter-finals.Nevertheless, the 20-year-old looks set to be on Liverpool‘s radar across the coming transfer windows. As a result, here is everything you need to know on Ichihara.

Photo by Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty ImagesWho does Rion Ichihara play for? At 20, Ichihara is one of the older players within the Japan squad, and it is no surprise to see him wearing the armband as a result.The defender has now played 12 times for the U20 age group, having previously represented the U19s on three occasions.READ MORE: Liverpool scouting Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez ahead of January transfer windowBut while he has yet to experience the Japan senior squad, Ichihara has been playing men’s football since making his debut for RB Omiya Ardija in July 2023.Omiya are one of the lesser-known Red Bull clubs, and have only been operating under the energy drink company’s banner since August 2024.Following Jurgen Klopp’s arrival as head of global soccer last year, the Japanese side now fall under the former Liverpool manager‘s remit.With Omiya currently playing in the second division of the Japanese league system, Ichihara has quickly become a regular starter in defence.

To date, the youngster has made 73 first team appearances, scoring five times.Ichihara is a penalty-taking specialistAlthough Ichihara gave away the penalty which ultimately cost Japan in the U20 World Cup, the centre-back is something of a penalty specialist himself.Ichihara scored in both of Japan’s opening two matches of the World Cup, with each goal coming from the penalty spot. NameRion IchiharaDOB (Age)07/07/2005 (20)PositionCentre-backCurrent TeamRB Omiya ArdijaNationality (Age group)Japanese (U20)Right or Left FootRightHeight186cmA right-footer, the defender is clearly a technically proficient player who is not afraid of a big moment.Standing at 186cm – around 6 feet 1 inch – Ichihara is not the tallest for a centre-back, but could still have room to grow an inch or two.Liverpool are unlikely to have been the only club impressed by Ichihara over recent weeks, and given the club are now within the Red Bull model, it would not be a surprise to see him arrive in Europe very soon.