Zion Suzuki

Zion Suzuki (鈴木 彩艶, Suzuki Zaion; born 21 August 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Parma. Born in the United States, he represents the Japan national team.

Early life

Suzuki was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States, to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother. He was named after the biblical location of Mount Zion near Jerusalem. Suzuki's family later moved to Japan, settling in Urawa, Saitama, where he was raised.

Club career

Urawa Red Diamonds

Suzuki's professional career began with Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds when he was 16-years and five months old, making him the youngest player in the history of the club to sign a professional contract. Suzuki made his debut for the club on 2 March 2021 in the J.League Cup match against Shonan Bellmare where he kept a clean sheet. His first appearance in the J1 League came on 9 May 2021 in a match against Vegalta Sendai where he kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win. He would then go on to play in the next five consecutive league matches with main choice goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa dropped due to poor performances. He recorded four clean sheets in six matches for Urawa Reds. Suzuki won the New Hero Award of the 2021 J.League Cup in his first season at the club.