Shunsuke Nakamura
Japan's free-kick master and only two-time J.League MVP.
via Wikipedia: Shunsuke Nakamura · see source
Shunsuke Nakamura is a Japanese former professional footballer. He is currently working as an assistant coach of the Japan national football team. He is the only person to have been named J.League Most Valuable Player more than once, receiving the award in 2000 and 2013.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 24 June 1978
- Birthplace
- Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Height
- 1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in
- Position
- Attacking midfielder
- Current club
- Japan (Assistant coach)
- Total caps
- 646
- Total goals
- 115
Lore & Background
Renowned as one of Japan's greatest ever footballers, Nakamura was known for his free-kicks; Steve Perryman once remarked that Nakamura 'could open a tin of beans with his left foot'. He began his professional career with J1 League club Yokohama Marinos in 1997, eventually making 338 league appearances during two spells at the club totalling just over twelve seasons. In between his spells at Marinos, Nakamura played in Europe with Espanyol, Celtic, and Reggina. During his time at Celtic, he became one of the best Asian players to have ever played in Europe; he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, was named Scottish Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year in 2007, and became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League. His team accomplishments at Celtic include winning the Scottish Premier League in 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Scottish League Cup in 2006 and 2009, and the Scottish Cup in 2007. Nakamura has 98 caps and 24 goals for the Japan national football team, including appearances in the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and 2010 and winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2000 and 2004; he was named Most Valuable Player of the 2004 competition. He also appeared in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship as a member of the Japan under-20 team and the 2000 Summer Olympics as a member of the Japan under-23 team.
Reader's Guide
Nakamura made his senior debut on 13 February 2000. He was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, and began playing football competitively at age 5 with local junior club side Misono FC. In fifth grade, he was selected for Yokohama's city junior all-star team's tour of the Soviet Union. At age 12 in 1991, he joined the youth setup of Nissan Motors, one of the predecessors of Yokohama F. Marinos. He later enrolled at Tōkō Gakuen in Kawasaki, leading the school to Japan's national high school football tournament in 1995 and to the tournament final in 1996. He signed with Yokohama Marinos in 1997, making his league debut on 16 April against Gamba Osaka. He left Marinos partway through the 2002 season to join Reggina on loan, then moved to Celtic in July 2005.
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