After graduating from Hamamatsu Kaiseikan High School, Ko Matsubara joined Shimizu S-Pulse in 2015.

Ko used to play the FW positon, then his experience as a defender was still limited when he joined the club. 

However, other defenders in the club got some serious injuries, so then he marked his first-team debut in the first round of the Nabisco Cup game. 

Two months later, Ko also made his J1 League debut as a center-back.

In his second season, 2016, he began featuring as a regular in the starting 11 of his team. After that, he became an indispensable part of the team, playing more than 30 games every season.

In the 2019 season, he made the most appearances for the team, and his performance in Japan earned him a move to Belgian club, Sint-Truidense V.V. at the end of the season.

Ko is a talented and consistent player, with unique dribbling skills at great pace, as well as precise passing and crossing ability from his left foot.

He also possessed significant strength and excellent physical qualities, which along with his work-rate, and energy, allowed him to cover the left flank effectively.

Those kinds of ability and skills make him an asset that any club would love to have.