![]() ![]() Since joining Gamba, Endo has made the J-League Team of the Season 10 times. Following stints early in his career with Yokohama Flugels and Kyoto Purple Sanga, the 34-year-old has been with Gamba Osaka since 2001. Unlike many of his international colleagues, Endo has never been tempted to test himself overseas. Yasuhito Endo (2002-present, 141 caps, 12 goals) He particularly shone at the 2004 Asian Championships, where he was named the Most Valuable Player.ĥ. He was controversially omitted by Japan head coach Philippe Troussier for the 2002 World Cup, but following the Frenchman's departure, he flourished under the management of Zico. In 2007, he would win numerous individual accolades, including the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and the SFWA Footballer of the Year awards, while also being nominated for the Ballon d'Or. However, when Man United made the return trip to Glasgow, he scored the winner to help Celtic through to the knockout stages of the competition. He was linked with a host of clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, prior to his move to Scotland in 2005, but he soon showed that the battle for his signature was worth the effort.Ī year after his arrival, the set-piece specialist scored at Old Trafford in the Champions League in a 3-2 defeat. Still a firm favourite among the Celtic faithful, Nakamura produced some memorable moments during his four years at Parkhead. Although he is still awaiting honours with the Rossoneri, he did win the Russian Premier League once and Russian Cup twice while with CSKA Moscow.Ħ. His club career has taken him to Holland, Russia and now Italy, having joined Serie A giants AC Milan in January. The attacking midfielder then backed that up by scoring during the final group match against Denmark, before turning provider for Okazaki to score with a neat piece of skill.Īt that tournament, he was voted by FIFA as the Man of the Match in three of Japan's four matches, which also saw him named the Japanese Player of the Year. Japan had never won a World Cup fixture off home soil until 2010, when Honda struck to seal a 1-0 victory over Cameroon in Bloemfontein. Keisuke Honda (2008-present, 53 caps, 20 goals) It marked their first ever victory over the two-time world champions.ħ. In 2009, he found the net 15 times in 16 matches - more than any other player, while he also scored the only goal of the game as Japan defeated Argentina in October 2010. ![]() Goals have also been easy to come by at international level. He struggled to find the net consistently at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, but he has since rediscovered his clinical touch with Mainz. The attacker showed his credentials during a five-year spell with Shimizu S-Pulse, which earned him a 2010 switch to the Bundesliga with Stuttgart. He is currently tied for third with Hiromi Hara, but second-placed Kazuyoshi Miura, who has 55 goals to his name, appears to be reachable - selection and fitness permitting of course. Shinji Okazaki (2008-present, 73 caps, 38 goals)Īt the age of 28, Okazaki still has time to work his way up the Japanese national side's goalscoring charts. Such form saw him entered into the voting for that year's Ballon d'Or, although he didn't make the top 20.Ĩ. He ended the tournament as his nation's leading scorer courtesy of goals against Belgium and Russia. He often produced the goods for Japan, with his finest period coming at the 2002 World Cup. Subsequent spells with West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City failed to reignite the fire and after a brief whistle stop tour of Europe, Inamoto returned home in 2010. He was still in a period when the Japanese players didn't feel they were at the level of the rest of the world."Ī move to Fulham in 2002 appeared to have reinvigorated the midfielder, with goals being scored against the likes of Manchester United, but a broken leg ended his time in West London. Speaking recently, Arsene Wenger said: "Also at that time lacked a little bit of belief in his qualities, because he was a very good footballer. In his case the team was Arsenal, but he struggled to live up to the hype that met his arrival. With his bleached-blond hair, Inamoto was one of the first Japanese players to delve into European football. Junichi Inamoto (2000-present, 83 caps, five goals) He has been included in the Team of the Season on five occasions, as well as being named Japanese Footballer of the Year in 2004.ĩ. Still playing for Yokohama F Marinos, many regard Nakazawa to be one of the best ever J-League footballers. The centre-back also contributed a further three goals during the qualification phase to his final World Cup. ![]() He retired from international football after captaining the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa having found the net on 17 occasions - a haul which included braces in victories over India and Thailand.
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