Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Albirex Niigata.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 J1 League | 31 | 1 | 0 | 2592 | 6.78 |
 J-League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 120 | — |
Scout report
M. Fitzgerald is a 37-year-old central defender at Albirex Niigata, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 0 assists in 31 appearances, a Season grade of 16, top 66% of J1 League centre-backs. On long-term scout potential he's rated 12.8, ranking 345th of 377 in the J1 League. A seasoned veteran, he has been a regular starter (75.8% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.47 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Fitzgerald.
Judged on this season alone, Fitzgerald graded 16 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 42nd of 64 of the 64 centre-backs in the J1 League, on 4 clean sheets and 2.465 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 25 → 16). Over the 3 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2023/24.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 13, 60th of 64 of the 64 centre-backs in the J1 League. At 37 Fitzgerald is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 1.5 reflects that trajectory.
Past his 2023/24 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.
Output in context · Albirex Niigata finished 20th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side
2.47 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 4 clean sheets across 31 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (20th of 20) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Availability. On the pitch for 75.8% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Watch points
- Age curve. At 37, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
- Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.
Outlook
With a Rating of 12.8, Fitzgerald carries the 60th-highest potential of the centre-backs in the J1 League of 64, and he is posting that for a relegation-threatened side (Albirex Niigata finished 20th of 20) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.47 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.5× and falling).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
