Shunsuke Nakamura
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos
in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League
and the second Asian player after a South Korean, Park Ji-Sung. He is also well known for his free kick-taking abilities. Asteroid
29986 Shunsuke
is also named in his honour.
He has won the Asian Cup in 2000 and 2004 with the Japanese national football team
, and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2004 competition. He has also appeared in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and the 2000 Summer Olympics
as a member of the Japanese Under-23 team.
In his first season with Celtic, Nakamura helped the club win the Scottish Premier League
and Scottish League Cup
. He has scored 23 goals for Japan
. His former clubs include Yokohama F. Marinos
and Reggina, for whom he scored 38 and 12 goals respectively before moving to Celtic on 25 July 2005 for a fee of around £
2.75 million.
, Japan, Nakamura began playing football competitively at age 5, playing with the local youth club side Misono FC until he entered junior high school. In fifth grade, he was selected for Yokohama's city all-star team's tour of the former Soviet Union
, even though the team was only meant to include sixth graders.
In 1991 at age 12, he joined Nissan FC Junior Youth, the youth division of Nissan Motors
' club side, which would become Yokohama Marinos when J. League
began play in 1993.
However, Nakamura was not promoted to the Nissan FC Youth team in 1994, and he enrolled at Tōkō Gakuen High School in Kawasaki. There, Nakamura was named the most valuable player of Japan's national high school football tournament
in 1995, and led the school to the tournament final in 1996.
After graduation from Tōkō Gakuen in 1997, Nakamura signed with the local club, Yokohama Marinos
.
of J. League Division 1 (later merged with Yokohama Flügels
and renamed "Yokohama F. Marinos
"), a club whose youth side he had played for when it was known as Nissan Motors FC. He made his début with Marinos on 16 April of that year against Gamba Osaka
. Nakamura finished the season with 27 appearances and 5 goals.
In 2000, Nakamura had his best season in Yokohama, recording 5 goals and 11 assists, and winning the J League Most Valuable Player award.
Nakamura left Marinos during the 2002 season to join Reggina of Serie A
, after the clubs agreed to a US$3.5 million transfer fee following a 6-month loan period.
club Reggina, newly promoted to Serie A
. Expectations for Nakamura were high, as he was given the prestigious number 10 shirt from the start, and he responded by scoring in three consecutive matches early in the season.
However, Nakamura struggled with injuries, appearing in just 18 matches in the 2003-04 season, while the club struggled to avoid relegation all three seasons he played there. After three seasons in Italy, he felt it was time to move on.
and media reports linked him to Atlético Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña of La Liga
as well as Bundesliga
teams Borussia Dortmund
and Borussia Mönchengladbach
in the summer of 2005, but Nakamura ultimately chose to join Scottish Premier League
club Celtic
.
He made an immediate impact at Celtic, and was named Man of the Match in his début against Dundee United
on 6 August 2005. His creativity, as well as his work ethic and composure under pressure has won praise from teammates, manager Gordon Strachan
and Celtic supporters.
In his first season with Celtic, Nakamura won his first major club titles, the Scottish Premier League and Scottish League Cup. On 13 September 2006, he played his début Champions League
game against Manchester United
at Old Trafford. He scored from a free kick to bring the game level at 2-2, although Celtic eventually lost 3-2. On 14 October 2006, in a league game against Dundee United at Tannadice
Nakamura scored the first hat-trick
of his Celtic career and won the Man of the Match award. The game ended 4-1 in Celtic's favour.
On 21 November 2006, Nakamura scored perhaps the most important goal of his career to date with a 30-yard free-kick against Manchester United at Celtic Park
in a crucial Champions League game. The goal resulted in Celtic progressing to the Champions League knockout stage for the first time. On 26 December 2006, Nakamura chipped the ball over Dundee United's goalkeeper Derek Stillie
at Celtic Park (He won the Goal of the Season award by this). It was Nakamura's performance in the final 20 minutes of the game which allowed Celtic to escape with a point, prompting Gordon Strachan to proclaim him "a genius".
On 25 February 2007, during the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Nakamura broke a bone in his left hand after an Inverness player stepped on it. However, Nakamura played in the next game on 3 March against Dunfermline Athletic.
Hoops manager Gordon Strachan
insisted that Celtic couldn't play the second leg of the Champions League match against A.C. Milan
in the San Siro without him. He played in both legs of the fixture, the first of which was a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park, with Milan going on to win the tie 1-0 after extra-time at the San Siro.
On 22 April 2007 Celtic won their 41st league championship, and second in a row. The title was won in dramatic fashion by an injury time free-kick from Nakamura in a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock. The result left Celtic 13 points clear of Rangers with four matches remaining. Quite fittingly, later that day Nakamura was recognized by his peers by him winning the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association's player of the year
award for 2007. This was followed in May by the Scottish Football Writers' Association
player of the year award and both Players Player of the Year award and the Fans Player of the Year award at Celtic's own end of season awards ceremony. He was also awarded SPL goal of the season for his goal against Dundee Utd.
Nakamura featured little in the first part of Celtic's 2007–08 campaign due to a knee injury which was picked up in a Champions League
qualifying match against Spartak Moscow
in August 2007 and repeatedly aggravated, including in a match against Motherwell
on 27 October 2007, after which Nakamura sat out for nearly three months. Nakamura returned to play on 12 January 2008, for Celtic's Scottish Cup
match against Stirling Albion
, in which he scored a goal.
On 16 April 2008 Nakamura scored his first goal against Glasgow rivals Rangers
in a 2-1 victory for Celtic. This goal made him the first ever Japanese player to score in an Old Firm
game. He later had a goal bound effort illegally cleared off the line by Carlos Cuéllar
in the same match.
On 1 July, it was reported that newly-promoted Serie A side Bologna were interested in acquiring Nakamura's services from Celtic. However, the player has reiterated his desire to see out the remaining years of his contract until he returns to Yokohama F. Marinos
to end his career.
On 13 September, Nakamura played his 100th Scottish Premier League match in a 4–2 victory against Motherwell.
On 28 February 2009, he scored a hat trick against St. Mirren
in a 7-0 win.
after the four year contract with Celtic. In June 2009, just before a medical checkup in Yokohama, the negotiation broke down due to unknown reasons. On 22 June 2009, it was announced that Nakamura had agreed terms with Spanish Primera Division
side Espanyol
. He agreed to join on a two-year contract, subject to a medical examination.
He made his debut with "Los Pericos" in the first league match of the 2009-10 season against Athletic Bilbao
, playing the entire game. However, he did not have as much first team action as he wished with the majority of his appearances being as a substitute.
On 1 February 2010, Nakamura told the Spanish press that he was going to stay at the Barcelona-based side. However, on 12 February a statement was released which admitted that both Espanyol and Nakamura himself had decided upon the player's return to Japan. Nakamura was transferred to Yokohama Marinos on 26 February.
In 1999, Nakamura was selected a member of Japan's Under-23 team that won all its Asian qualifying matches in the run up to the 2000 Olympic Games
in Sydney. Nakamura formed a lethal combination in the attacking midfield with Shinji Ono
on a team that would form the core of the Japanese national team, and included Atsushi Yanagisawa
, Junichi Inamoto
and Naohiro Takahara
. In Sydney, Japan reached the quarterfinal round.
. He scored his first national team goal against Brunei
in the very next match on 16 February 2000, also in Asian Cup qualifying.
After helping Japan win Asian Cup 2000, Nakamura appeared to have cemented his place in the national team, having played every match of the tournament. However, his national team career took a sharp turn in a friendly match on 25 March 2001, a humiliating 5-0 loss to France
. He did not play for the team led by manager Philippe Troussier
again until almost a year later, in a friendly match against Ukraine
on 21 March 2002.
Although Nakamura played in four friendly matches leading up to the 2002 World Cup Finals
, he was left out of the 23-man squad to the disappointment of fans. In the second to last warm up match for the World Cup
against Honduras
, he scored two goals, one of them a curling shot made directly from a corner kick. However, he picked up a knee injury against Honduras and did not play in the final warm up match, a 3-0 loss against Norway
, and was ultimately not picked for the World Cup squad.
Despite Nakamura's talents, Troussier could not find a place in his rigid, defensive-minded system. He believed Nakamura lacked the physique and stamina to play either the center or the left of the midfield, and had a surplus of players at both positions.
and Kashima Antlers
star Zico
. The new coach immediately brought the talented player back to the national team, starting Nakamura in his début against Jamaica
.
Zico has lauded Nakamura's improvement since 2002, especially his physical development, stating, "Unquestionably, he has improved a great deal since his move to Serie A. He is the soul of our midfield." Nakamura has flourished under Zico's attacking style and earned his place as the central playmaker. He led Japan to the championship at Asian Cup 2004, where he was named Most Valuable Player, and qualification for the 2006 World Cup Finals
. Nakamura also starred for Japan in the 2003
and 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
, scoring a total of 4 goals in 6 matches.
Nakamura was suspended for the World Cup qualification match against North Korea on 8 June 2005 that clinched Japan's place in the 2006 Finals, he nonetheless played a key role in the qualifying run and has replaced Hidetoshi Nakata
as the main playmaker in Japan's attack.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup Nakamura scored the controversial opening goal in Japan's first game against Australia, which Australia came back to win 3-1.
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, Nakamura retired from international football.
|-
|1997||rowspan="6"|Yokohama Marinos
||rowspan="6"|J. League 1||27||5||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||31||5
|-
|1998||33||9||colspan="2"|-|||4||1||colspan="2"|-||37||10
|-
|1999||26||7||3||1||4||0||colspan="2"|-||33||8
|-
|2000||30||5||2||0||4||1||colspan="2"|-||36||6
|-
|2001||24||3||1||0||6||2||colspan="2"|-||31||5
|-
|2002||8||4||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||8||4
|-
|2002-03||rowspan="3"|Reggina
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
||32||7||4||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||36||8
|-
|2003-04||16||2||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||18||2
|-
|2004-05||33||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||33||2
|-
|2005-06||rowspan="4"|Celtic
||rowspan="4"|Premier League
||33||6||1||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||38||6
|-
|2006-07||37||9||5||0||colspan="2"|-||8||2||50||11
|-
|2007-08||26||6||4||1||colspan="2"|-||4||0||34||7
|-
|2008-09||32||8||2||0||3||1||5||0||42||9
|-
|2009-10||Espanyol
||La Liga
||13||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2010
||rowspan="2"|Yokohama F. Marinos
||rowspan="2"|J. League 1||32||5||2||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||35||6
|-
|2011
||18||3||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||20||3
198||41||9||2||24||4||colspan="2"|-||231||47
81||11||6||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||87||12
128||29||12||1||7||1||17||2||164||33
13||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
420||81||29||4||31||5||17||2||497||92
|}
|2000||16||3
|-
|2001||1||0
|-
|2002||6||2
|-
|2003||8||4
|-
|2004||15||3
|-
|2005||11||3
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
|2007||10||4
|-
|2008||9||2
|-
|2009||11||2
|-
|2010||5||0
|-
!Total||98||24
|}
, he is a fan of the Grand Theft Auto
and Gran Turismo
video games. He has appeared with Zico on the front cover of the Japanese releases of Konami's
Winning Eleven video game series (WE 5 WE 9, WE 9: Ubiquitous Evolution and WE 10) in 2001, 2005 and 2006. He also appeared on the front cover of Namco's
Football Kingdom Trial Edition in 2004. He is the paid promoter of the Yamada electronics chain. His current boot sponsor is Adidas.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the second Asian player after a South Korean, Park Ji-Sung. He is also well known for his free kick-taking abilities. Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
29986 Shunsuke
29986 Shunsuke
29986 Shunsuke is a main-belt asteroid discovered on December 3, 1999 by Akimasa Nakamura at Kuma Kogen.It is named after Japanese footballer Shunsuke Nakamura....
is also named in his honour.
He has won the Asian Cup in 2000 and 2004 with the Japanese national football team
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2004 competition. He has also appeared in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
as a member of the Japanese Under-23 team.
In his first season with Celtic, Nakamura helped the club win the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
and Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. He has scored 23 goals for Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
. His former clubs include Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
and Reggina, for whom he scored 38 and 12 goals respectively before moving to Celtic on 25 July 2005 for a fee of around £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2.75 million.
Early years
Born and raised in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan, Nakamura began playing football competitively at age 5, playing with the local youth club side Misono FC until he entered junior high school. In fifth grade, he was selected for Yokohama's city all-star team's tour of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, even though the team was only meant to include sixth graders.
In 1991 at age 12, he joined Nissan FC Junior Youth, the youth division of Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
' club side, which would become Yokohama Marinos when J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
began play in 1993.
However, Nakamura was not promoted to the Nissan FC Youth team in 1994, and he enrolled at Tōkō Gakuen High School in Kawasaki. There, Nakamura was named the most valuable player of Japan's national high school football tournament
All Japan High School Soccer Tournament
The of Japan, commonly known as "Winter Kokuritsu" , is an annual nationwide high school association football tournament. It is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan, even as soccer continues to gain more attention....
in 1995, and led the school to the tournament final in 1996.
After graduation from Tōkō Gakuen in 1997, Nakamura signed with the local club, Yokohama Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
.
Yokohama Marinos (1997-2002)
In 1997, 19-year-old Nakamura joined Yokohama MarinosYokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
of J. League Division 1 (later merged with Yokohama Flügels
Yokohama Flügels
was a Japanese football club that played in the J. League between 1993 and 1998. In 1999 the club was officially merged with local rivals Yokohama Marinos and the two teams became known together as Yokohama F. Marinos.- History :...
and renamed "Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
"), a club whose youth side he had played for when it was known as Nissan Motors FC. He made his début with Marinos on 16 April of that year against Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...
. Nakamura finished the season with 27 appearances and 5 goals.
In 2000, Nakamura had his best season in Yokohama, recording 5 goals and 11 assists, and winning the J League Most Valuable Player award.
Nakamura left Marinos during the 2002 season to join Reggina of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, after the clubs agreed to a US$3.5 million transfer fee following a 6-month loan period.
Reggina (2002-2005)
Following the disappointment of being omitted from Japan's final World Cup squad, Nakamura joined ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Reggina, newly promoted to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. Expectations for Nakamura were high, as he was given the prestigious number 10 shirt from the start, and he responded by scoring in three consecutive matches early in the season.
However, Nakamura struggled with injuries, appearing in just 18 matches in the 2003-04 season, while the club struggled to avoid relegation all three seasons he played there. After three seasons in Italy, he felt it was time to move on.
Celtic (2005-2009)
Nakamura expressed interest in playing in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and media reports linked him to Atlético Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña of La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
as well as Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
teams Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
in the summer of 2005, but Nakamura ultimately chose to join Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
.
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
on 6 August 2005. His creativity, as well as his work ethic and composure under pressure has won praise from teammates, manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
and Celtic supporters.
In his first season with Celtic, Nakamura won his first major club titles, the Scottish Premier League and Scottish League Cup. On 13 September 2006, he played his début Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
game against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford. He scored from a free kick to bring the game level at 2-2, although Celtic eventually lost 3-2. On 14 October 2006, in a league game against Dundee United at Tannadice
Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish city of Dundee. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C. and has a capacity of 14,209.-Early days :...
Nakamura scored the first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of his Celtic career and won the Man of the Match award. The game ended 4-1 in Celtic's favour.
On 21 November 2006, Nakamura scored perhaps the most important goal of his career to date with a 30-yard free-kick against Manchester United at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in a crucial Champions League game. The goal resulted in Celtic progressing to the Champions League knockout stage for the first time. On 26 December 2006, Nakamura chipped the ball over Dundee United's goalkeeper Derek Stillie
Derek Stillie
Derek Stillie is a retired Scottish footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for a number of clubs in Scotland and England before retiring to pursue a career in English law.-Career:...
at Celtic Park (He won the Goal of the Season award by this). It was Nakamura's performance in the final 20 minutes of the game which allowed Celtic to escape with a point, prompting Gordon Strachan to proclaim him "a genius".
On 25 February 2007, during the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Nakamura broke a bone in his left hand after an Inverness player stepped on it. However, Nakamura played in the next game on 3 March against Dunfermline Athletic.
Hoops manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
insisted that Celtic couldn't play the second leg of the Champions League match against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the San Siro without him. He played in both legs of the fixture, the first of which was a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park, with Milan going on to win the tie 1-0 after extra-time at the San Siro.
On 22 April 2007 Celtic won their 41st league championship, and second in a row. The title was won in dramatic fashion by an injury time free-kick from Nakamura in a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock. The result left Celtic 13 points clear of Rangers with four matches remaining. Quite fittingly, later that day Nakamura was recognized by his peers by him winning the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association's player of the year
Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football...
award for 2007. This was followed in May by the Scottish Football Writers' Association
Scottish Football Writers' Association
The Scottish Football Writers' Association is an association of Scottish football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1965...
player of the year award and both Players Player of the Year award and the Fans Player of the Year award at Celtic's own end of season awards ceremony. He was also awarded SPL goal of the season for his goal against Dundee Utd.
Nakamura featured little in the first part of Celtic's 2007–08 campaign due to a knee injury which was picked up in a Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifying match against Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
in August 2007 and repeatedly aggravated, including in a match against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on 27 October 2007, after which Nakamura sat out for nearly three months. Nakamura returned to play on 12 January 2008, for Celtic's Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
match against Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion F.C.
Stirling Albion F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Doubletree Dunblane Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth...
, in which he scored a goal.
On 16 April 2008 Nakamura scored his first goal against Glasgow rivals Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in a 2-1 victory for Celtic. This goal made him the first ever Japanese player to score in an Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
game. He later had a goal bound effort illegally cleared off the line by Carlos Cuéllar
Carlos Cuéllar
Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jiménez is a Spanish footballer who plays for Aston Villa. He is primarily a central defender, but can also operate as a right-back.-Early career:...
in the same match.
On 1 July, it was reported that newly-promoted Serie A side Bologna were interested in acquiring Nakamura's services from Celtic. However, the player has reiterated his desire to see out the remaining years of his contract until he returns to Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
to end his career.
On 13 September, Nakamura played his 100th Scottish Premier League match in a 4–2 victory against Motherwell.
On 28 February 2009, he scored a hat trick against St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
in a 7-0 win.
Espanyol (2009-2010)
Many media have speculated that Nakamura returned to his hometown club Yokohama F. MarinosYokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
after the four year contract with Celtic. In June 2009, just before a medical checkup in Yokohama, the negotiation broke down due to unknown reasons. On 22 June 2009, it was announced that Nakamura had agreed terms with Spanish Primera Division
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. He agreed to join on a two-year contract, subject to a medical examination.
He made his debut with "Los Pericos" in the first league match of the 2009-10 season against Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, playing the entire game. However, he did not have as much first team action as he wished with the majority of his appearances being as a substitute.
On 1 February 2010, Nakamura told the Spanish press that he was going to stay at the Barcelona-based side. However, on 12 February a statement was released which admitted that both Espanyol and Nakamura himself had decided upon the player's return to Japan. Nakamura was transferred to Yokohama Marinos on 26 February.
Yokohama F. Marinos (2010-present)
Nakamura became an instant influence at the club, scoring a fantastic goal in his debut. His second and third goals came in August 2010, both long range efforts, and one a classic free-kick. He has helped Yokohama remain in contention for the title.Youth national teams (1996-2000)
Nakamura's national team career with Japan started in 1996 as the only high school player selected to the Under-19 team for the Asia Youth Championship. The following year, he was a member of Japan's Under-20 team that finished in the final 8 of the FIFA World Youth Championship.In 1999, Nakamura was selected a member of Japan's Under-23 team that won all its Asian qualifying matches in the run up to the 2000 Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney. Nakamura formed a lethal combination in the attacking midfield with Shinji Ono
Shinji Ono
is a Japanese football player, who plays as a midfielder for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan.Known as Tensai, Japanese for "Genius", from his youth days, Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing...
on a team that would form the core of the Japanese national team, and included Atsushi Yanagisawa
Atsushi Yanagisawa
is a Japanese football player. Currently he is a striker for Vegalta Sendai in the top division of the J-League. Yanagisawa was born in Kosugi-machi, Toyama-ken, Japan...
, Junichi Inamoto
Junichi Inamoto
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal...
and Naohiro Takahara
Naohiro Takahara
is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he...
. In Sydney, Japan reached the quarterfinal round.
Under Troussier (2000-02)
Nakamura made his senior national team debut on 13 February 2000, in an Asian Cup qualifier match against SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He scored his first national team goal against Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
in the very next match on 16 February 2000, also in Asian Cup qualifying.
After helping Japan win Asian Cup 2000, Nakamura appeared to have cemented his place in the national team, having played every match of the tournament. However, his national team career took a sharp turn in a friendly match on 25 March 2001, a humiliating 5-0 loss to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. He did not play for the team led by manager Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
again until almost a year later, in a friendly match against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
on 21 March 2002.
Although Nakamura played in four friendly matches leading up to the 2002 World Cup Finals
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, he was left out of the 23-man squad to the disappointment of fans. In the second to last warm up match for the World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
against Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
, he scored two goals, one of them a curling shot made directly from a corner kick. However, he picked up a knee injury against Honduras and did not play in the final warm up match, a 3-0 loss against Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and was ultimately not picked for the World Cup squad.
Despite Nakamura's talents, Troussier could not find a place in his rigid, defensive-minded system. He believed Nakamura lacked the physique and stamina to play either the center or the left of the midfield, and had a surplus of players at both positions.
Under Zico (2002-06)
After the World Cup, Troussier resigned as manager of Japan, and was replaced by former BrazilBrazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
star Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
. The new coach immediately brought the talented player back to the national team, starting Nakamura in his début against Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
.
Zico has lauded Nakamura's improvement since 2002, especially his physical development, stating, "Unquestionably, he has improved a great deal since his move to Serie A. He is the soul of our midfield." Nakamura has flourished under Zico's attacking style and earned his place as the central playmaker. He led Japan to the championship at Asian Cup 2004, where he was named Most Valuable Player, and qualification for the 2006 World Cup Finals
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Nakamura also starred for Japan in the 2003
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
and 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
, scoring a total of 4 goals in 6 matches.
Nakamura was suspended for the World Cup qualification match against North Korea on 8 June 2005 that clinched Japan's place in the 2006 Finals, he nonetheless played a key role in the qualifying run and has replaced Hidetoshi Nakata
Hidetoshi Nakata
, is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...
as the main playmaker in Japan's attack.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup Nakamura scored the controversial opening goal in Japan's first game against Australia, which Australia came back to win 3-1.
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Nakamura retired from international football.
Club and national team
- J. League 1st stage: 2000
- J. League CupJ. League CupJ. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...
: 2001 - AFC Asian CupAFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...
: 20002000 AFC Asian CupThe Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:...
, 20042004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: 2006Scottish Premier League 2005-06The 2005–06 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, with a 17-point margin over their nearest challengers Hearts in the first season under the management of Gordon Strachan...
, 2007Scottish Premier League 2006-07The 2006–07 Scottish Premier League season was the ninth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on July 29, 2006.The league champions, Celtic and runners-up, Rangers, qualified for the UEFA Champions League on the return of Walter Smith as manager following a brief and disastrous...
, 2008Scottish Premier League 2007-08The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008... - Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: 2009Scottish Premier League 2008-09The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank...
(Runner-up) - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 2006, 2009 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: 2007
Individual
- J. League Best Eleven: 1999, 2000
- J. League Most Valuable PlayerJ. League Most Valuable PlayerThe J-League Player of the Year is awarded by the J.League.-Wins By Club:...
: 2000 - Japanese Footballer of the Year: 2000
- Selected to AFC All Star Team: 2000
- FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Bronze Shoe Award: 2003 - AFC Asian CupAFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...
Best Eleven: 20002000 AFC Asian CupThe Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:...
, 20042004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... - AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player: 20042004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
- SPFA Players' Player of the Year: 2007
- SFWA Footballer of the YearSFWA Footballer of the YearThe Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football...
: 2007 - Scottish PFA Goal of the Season: 2007
- Scottish PFA's Team of the Season: 2007
- Scottish Premier League Player of the MonthScottish Premier League monthly awardsThis article lists the winners of the Manager, Player and Young Player monthly awards in the Scottish Premier League since the2000–01 season. No Young Player of the Month were awarded in the 2000–01 season. Rising Star awards were issued most months in the 2007–08 season.The awards are currently...
: 2007 (February) - Celtic Player of The YearCeltic Player of The YearCeltic Player of the Year award is an annual awards ceremony held by Celtic FC. It has been held every year since 2003 when Bobo Balde was awarded the first ever Celtic Player of the Year award.-2002–03:*Celtic Player of The Year: Bobo Baldé...
: 2007 - Celtic Fans Player of the Year: 2007
Career statistics
As of 1 November 2011|-
|1997||rowspan="6"|Yokohama Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
||rowspan="6"|J. League 1||27||5||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||31||5
|-
|1998||33||9||colspan="2"|-|||4||1||colspan="2"|-||37||10
|-
|1999||26||7||3||1||4||0||colspan="2"|-||33||8
|-
|2000||30||5||2||0||4||1||colspan="2"|-||36||6
|-
|2001||24||3||1||0||6||2||colspan="2"|-||31||5
|-
|2002||8||4||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||8||4
|-
|2002-03||rowspan="3"|Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||32||7||4||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||36||8
|-
|2003-04||16||2||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||18||2
|-
|2004-05||33||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||33||2
|-
|2005-06||rowspan="4"|Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||rowspan="4"|Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||33||6||1||0||4||0||colspan="2"|-||38||6
|-
|2006-07||37||9||5||0||colspan="2"|-||8||2||50||11
|-
|2007-08||26||6||4||1||colspan="2"|-||4||0||34||7
|-
|2008-09||32||8||2||0||3||1||5||0||42||9
|-
|2009-10||Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
||La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||13||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2010
2010 J. League Division 1
The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....
||rowspan="2"|Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
||rowspan="2"|J. League 1||32||5||2||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||35||6
|-
|2011
2011 J. League Division 1
The 2011 J. League Division 1 season is the 46th season of Japanese top flight football and 19th since the establishment of the J. League. The season began on March 5 and is scheduled to end on December 3, with a planned five-week summer break between June 27–July 29 in order to allow preparation...
||18||3||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||20||3
198||41||9||2||24||4||colspan="2"|-||231||47
81||11||6||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||87||12
128||29||12||1||7||1||17||2||164||33
13||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||0
420||81||29||4||31||5||17||2||497||92
|}
Appearances in major competitions
Last update: 3 November 2010| Team | |Category | |Goals | 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship The 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship... |
U-20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Quarterfinals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification - Group 1 :All matches were held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.--------------------- Group 2 :Played in Damascus, Syria.--------------------Played in Tehran, Iran.--------------------- Group 3 :... |
Senior | 3 | 0 | 2 | Qualified | ||||
| 2000 Olympics Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra... |
U-23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup 2000 AFC Asian Cup The Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:... |
Senior | 5 | 0 | 0 | Champions | ||||
| 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Senior | 2 | 0 | 3 | Round 1 | ||||
| 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... |
Senior | 6 | 0 | 2 | Champions | ||||
| 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
Senior | 3 | 0 | 1 | Round 1 | ||||
| 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Asia.44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing... |
Senior | 7 | 1 | 1 | Qualified | ||||
| 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Senior | 3 | 0 | 1 | Round 1 | ||||
| 2007 AFC Asian Cup 2007 AFC Asian Cup The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi... |
Senior | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4th Place | ||||
| 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four assured qualifying berths for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not attempt to qualify... |
Senior | 11 | 0 | 1 | Qualified | ||||
| 2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Senior | 0 | 1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
Goals for national team
Last update: 19 November 2009| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 February 2000 | Macau Macau Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
9-0 | Won | Asian Cup 2000 Qual | |
| 2. | 11 June 2000 | Miyagi, Japan Miyagi Stadium is an athletic stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to evoke images of Date Masamune, a Daimyo of Mutsu Province, which included the present-day Miyagi Prefecture.Miyagi... |
1-1 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 3. | 16 August 2000 | Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima Big Arch is a multi-purpose stadium in Hiroshima, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. It has a capacity of 50,000. It is an all-seater.-History:Hiroshima Big Arch was opened in 1992, as the venue of 1992 AFC Asian Cup... |
3-1 | Won | Friendly | |
| 4. | 2 May 2002 | Kobe, Japan Kobe Wing Stadium , nicknamed , called Home's Stadium Kobe for the J. League association football events and the rugby football Top League events, is a football stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 30,132. This stadium, which features a retractable roof, is the home ground of J... |
3-3 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 5. | 2 May 2002 | Kobe, Japan Kobe Wing Stadium , nicknamed , called Home's Stadium Kobe for the J. League association football events and the rugby football Top League events, is a football stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 30,132. This stadium, which features a retractable roof, is the home ground of J... |
3-3 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 6. | 28 March 2003 | Tokyo, Japan Olympic Stadium (Tokyo) or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was... |
2-2 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 7. | 18 June 2003 | Paris, France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... |
3-0 | Won | Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage | |
| 8. | 18 June 2003 | Paris, France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... |
3-0 | Won | Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage | |
| 9. | 20 June 2003 | Saint-Étienne, France Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at... |
1-2 | Lost | Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage | |
| 10. | 9 June 2004 | Saitama, Japan | 7-0 | Won | World Cup 2006 Qual | |
| 11. | 20 July 2004 | Chongqing, China | 1-0 | Won | Asian Cup 2004 Group Stage | |
| 12. | 24 July 2004 | Chongqing, China | 4-1 | Won | Asian Cup 2004 Group Stage | |
| 13. | 22 June 2005 | Cologne, Germany RheinEnergieStadion The RheinEnergieStadion is a football stadium in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was built on the site of the two previous Müngersdorfer stadiums. It is the home of the local Bundesliga team, 1. FC Köln. The stadium was one of the 12 hosting the 2006 FIFA World Cup... |
2-2 | Draw | Confederations Cup 2005 Group Stage | |
| 14. | 7 September 2005 | Miyagi, Japan Miyagi Stadium is an athletic stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to evoke images of Date Masamune, a Daimyo of Mutsu Province, which included the present-day Miyagi Prefecture.Miyagi... |
5-4 | Won | Friendly | |
| 15. | 8 October 2005 | Riga, Latvia Skonto stadions Skonto Stadium is a football stadium in Riga, Latvia. The stadium has 9,500 seats and was built in 2000. This is the biggest football stadium in Latvia.- Description :Skonto Stadium is located in the heart of Riga - Street E. Melngaiļa 1a, Riga, Latvia... |
2-2 | Draw | Friendly | |
| 16. | 12 June 2006 | Kaiserslautern, Germany | 1-3 | Lost | World Cup 2006 Group Stage | |
| 17. | 13 July 2007 | Hanoi My Dinh National Stadium My Dinh National Stadium is a stadium in My Dinh commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam, has a capacity of 40,192 seats and is the centerpiece of Vietnam's National Sports Complex... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –... |
3-1 | Won | 2007 AFC Asian Cup 2007 AFC Asian Cup The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi... Group Stage |
|
| 18. | 16 July 2007 | Hanoi My Dinh National Stadium My Dinh National Stadium is a stadium in My Dinh commune, Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam, has a capacity of 40,192 seats and is the centerpiece of Vietnam's National Sports Complex... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –... |
4-1 | Won | 2007 AFC Asian Cup 2007 AFC Asian Cup The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi... Group Stage |
|
| 19. | 11 September 2007 | Klagenfurt, Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
4-3 | Won | Friendly | |
| 20. | 11 September 2007 | Klagenfurt, Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
4-3 | Won | Friendly | |
| 21. | 2 June 2008 | Yokohama Nissan Stadium The is a sports venue in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.The Yokohama City Office planned multi purpose about the rest place for flood by the Tsurumi River, which included the construction of the main stadium of major sport events - the 53rd National Sports Festival of Japan in Kanagawa... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
3-0 | Won | World Cup 2010 Qual | |
| 22. | 6 September 2008 | Riffa Bahrain National Stadium The Bahrain National Stadium is the national stadium of Bahrain, located in East Riffa. It can accommodate 35,000 people and is used mostly for football matches. It was built in 1982. Various aspects of the stadium will be renovated, such as the seats and roof.-External links:**... , Bahrain Bahrain ' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is... |
3-2 | Won | World Cup 2010 Qual | |
| 23. | 28 March 2009 | Saitama, Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
1-0 | Won | World Cup 2010 Qual | |
| 24. | 18 November 2009 | Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium it reincarnated as Hong Kong Stadium in 1994... , Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
4-0 | Won | 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
National team appearances
|-|2000||16||3
|-
|2001||1||0
|-
|2002||6||2
|-
|2003||8||4
|-
|2004||15||3
|-
|2005||11||3
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
|2007||10||4
|-
|2008||9||2
|-
|2009||11||2
|-
|2010||5||0
|-
!Total||98||24
|}
Personal life
Nakamura married a former Japanese talent in 2004. In the same year, his first son was born. His second son was born on 15 January 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland. According to the Evening TimesEvening Times
The Evening Times is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland.-History:The paper, an evening sister paper of The Herald, was established in 1876. The paper's slogan is "Nobody Knows Glasgow Better"....
, he is a fan of the Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
and Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo (series)
is a popular and critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital.Developed exclusively for PlayStation systems, Gran Turismo games are intended to simulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, nearly all of which are licensed...
video games. He has appeared with Zico on the front cover of the Japanese releases of Konami's
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
Winning Eleven video game series (WE 5 WE 9, WE 9: Ubiquitous Evolution and WE 10) in 2001, 2005 and 2006. He also appeared on the front cover of Namco's
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
Football Kingdom Trial Edition in 2004. He is the paid promoter of the Yamada electronics chain. His current boot sponsor is Adidas.