Shinji Kagawa, born Kobe, Japan, March 17, 1989. Shinji Kagawa began his professional career with J. League Division One team Cerezo Osaka before the sought after player joined Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of the 2010-11 season. While at Westfalenstadion, the midfielder won the German Bundesliga title with The Borussians in both 2011 and 2012.
Shinji Kagawa was brought to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund by Sir Ales Ferguson for a transfer fee reported to be somewhere in the region of £17 million in June 2012. The Japan international signed a four-year deal with the English Premier League club after both sides agreed on the transfer fee for the much respected midfielder. Kagawa was handed his debut for The Reds as a late second half substitute for Mexican international striker Javier Hernandez in a 1-0 friendly fixture triumph over Amazulu at The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on the 18th of July 2012, and made his first start for his new club in a 1-1 friendly draw with Ajax Cape Town at The Green Point Stadium three days later. He then went on to score the only goal in a close 1-0 friendly encounter victory over Shanghai Shenhua at The Shanghai Stadium on the 25th of July and followed up by hitting the winner in a high scoring 4-3 friendly success against German Bundesliga outfit Hannover 96 at The AWD Stadium on the 11th of August. He was handed his Premier League debut for Manchester United in a 1-0 defeat against David Moyes´s Everton at Goodison Park on the 20th of August, and netted his first Premiership goal in a 3-2 win over Fulham at Old Trafford on the 25th of the same month.
An offensive oriented playmaker with excellent shooting technique too, Shinji Kagawa scored a hat-trick for Manchester United in a fine 4-0 Premiership victory over Norwich City at Old Trafford on the 2nd of March 2013, and to top it all he became the first Asian player to score a treble in the Premier League. Kagawa gave United the upper hand in the final minute of the first half as Robin van Persie deflected a cross ball from Antonio Valencia into the path of the playmaker whose low strike flew past Norwich custodian Mark Bunn and into the goal. In the second half, Kagawa added a second goal for The Red Devils when he converted a pass from Wayne Rooney in the 76th minute before he completed his hat-trick eleven minutes later. With the match approaching stoppage time, Rooney wrapped up the scoring spree himself with an accurate and powerful rocket shot from some twenty-five yards out which beat Bunn in the 90th minute of the contest. Following 57 first team appearances for Manchester United, Kagawa ultimately returned to former team Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £6.5 million in August 2014 after having won the Premier League and the FA Community Shield during his two-year stay at Old Trafford. Shinji Kagawa Playing Career: Cerezo Osaka, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund. Managing Career: None.