1201 Hidemasa Morita

Biography

Experienced Japanese international midfielder Hidemasa Morita joined Hull City in July 2026. An injury limited his game time in the early weeks of the 2026/27 season as the Tigers remained unbeaten.

Hidemasa Morita was born in Takatsuki, a city located midway between Osaka and Kyoto on the Japanese Honshu mainland. he played football for his high school in Takatsuki until the age of eighteen before attending Ryutsu Keizai University located in Ryugasaki, fifteen miles north east of central Tokyo.

In September 2017 Hidemasa was allowed to spend time training with Japanese J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale and February 2018, on completion of his studies, he signed his first professional contract with the same side. He made his debut for Kawasaki in a February 2018 Japanese Super Cup tie against Cerezo Osaka and by the end of the month he made his J1 League debut against Jubilo Iwata. He became a first eleven regular during the 2019 season and scored his first senior goal in an October 2019 J.League Cup semi-final tie against Kashima Antlers – an injury meant Morita missed the League Cup final victory against HC Sapporo later that month.

During the 2020 season Morita occasionally captained the Kawasaki side and lifted the 2020 Emperors Cup after defeating Gamba Osaka in the final that was delayed until January 2021. That victory proved to be Morita’s final appearance for Kawasaki Frontale – he scored two goals in 108 appearances over three seasons.

In January 2021 Morita joined Portuguese Primeira League side Santa Clara, scoring on his debut later that month against Rio Ave. He became a first eleven fixture straight away and in July 2021 he made his first appearance in the Europa Conference League against North Macedonian side FC Shkupi. By the end of the 2021/22 season Morita had scored four goals in 59 appearances for Santa Clara.

In July 2022 he joined Lisbon-based Portuguese giants Sporting club de Portugal. Introduced immediately into the first team, he made his August 2022 debut against Braga and by September 2022 he was playing in the Champions League against Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur and Marseille, a fine achievement only eighteen months into his European football career. In September 2022 he also scored his first goal for Sporting against Gil Vicente and struck a brace in February 2023 against Braga. In January 2023 he played in the Portuguese League Cup defeat to Porto.

In the 2023/24 season Morita was a key part of the Sporting team that lifted to Portuguese league title and also played in the May 2024 Taca de Portugal final that was lost to Porto. In May 2025 Morita won his second successive league title and claimed his first Cup trophy in Portugal, winning the May 2025 Taca de Portugal final against Benfica. During the 2025/26 season Morita’s Sporting side were serial runners-up, finishing second in the Primeira League and losing the Taca de Portugal final to second tier side Torreense. By July 2026, ahead of his move to Hull City, Hidemasa had scored eleven goals for Sporting Club de Portugal in 166 appearances.

Morita was a regular choice for Japan senior international side. he won his first cap in September 2018 against Costa Rica and won further caps in November 2018 against Kyrgyzstan and June 2019 against Trinidad & Tobago. In March 2021, shortly after his move to Portugal, Morita became a first choice for Japan and netted his first international goal that month against Mongolia. In November 2022 he was selected for Japan’s 2022 Qatar World Cup squad and made three appearances during that winter tournament. In January and February 2024 he returned to Qatar and made four appearances in the AFC Asian Cup finals. In March 2025 he made the last of 40 appearances for the Japan international side – he scored six goals during his seven years as a full international.

Details

Nationality: Japan
Date/Place of Birth: 10 May 1995, Takatsuki (Japan)
Hull City First Game: 25 August 2026, Stoke City A (League Cup Second Round), 31 years, 107 days old
Hull City Final Game: [current player]

Clubs

Ryutsu Keizai University (2014-2018), Kawasaki Frontale (2018-2021), Santa Clara (2021-2022), Sporting Club de Portugal (2022-2026), Hull City (2026-current)

Hull City Record

Career: 2 apps, 0 goals