Shunsuke Nakamura Totally Explained

Everything about Shunsuke Nakamura totally explained

ť Shunsuke Nakamura isn't to be confused with Shinsuke Nakamura, the Japanese professional wrestler/MMA fighter

| cityofbirth = Yokohama | countryofbirth = Japan | height = | currentclub = Celtic | position = Midfielder | clubnumber = 25 | youthyears = 1991-1994
1994-1997 | youthclubs = Nissan F.C. Junior Youth
Toko Gakuen High School | years = 1997-2002
2002-2005
2005- | clubs = Yokohama Marinos
Reggina
Celtic | caps(goals) = 146 (33)
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Europe and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the Champions League and the second Asian player to do so.
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. His contributions to the Japanese national football team are represented by 20 goals. 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 £1.25 million.

Playing style

Nakamura is a playmaking midfielder usually deployed by Celtic on the right hand side of midfield. He had previously been positioned in the centre or on the left hand side of the pitch, since he's left-footed.
He is known for his vision and touch, as well as being a free-kick specialist. He can create scoring opportunities for his teammates but is also more than capable of scoring himself. Former Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashiwa Reysol manager and Tottenham Hotspur player Steve Perryman once remarked that Nakamura was so good, he "could open a tin of beans with his left foot".
Slightly built, weighing just 68 kg, Nakamura has been criticized for lack of strength on the ball, and his physical weakness was one of the reason for his omission from Japan's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he's addressed this shortcoming during his three seasons in Italy and he's flourished in the similarly physical Scottish football.

Early years

Born and raised in Yokohama, 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 F.C. Junior Youth, the youth division of Nissan Motors' club side, which would become Yokohama Marinos when J. League began play in 1993.
However, Nakamura wasn't promoted to the Nissan F.C. Youth team In 1994, and he enrolled at Toko 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 Toko Gakuen in 1997, Nakamura signed with the local club, Yokohama Marinos.

National team

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 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.

Under Troussier (2000-02)

Nakamura made his senior national team debut on February 13, 2000, in an Asian Cup qualifier match against Singapore. He scored his first national team goal against Brunei in the very next match on February 16, 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 March 25, 2001, a humiliating 5-0 loss to France. He didn't play for the team led by manager Philippe Troussier again until almost a year later, in a friendly match against Ukraine on March 21, 2002.
   Although Nakamura played in four friendly matches leading up to the 2002 World Cup Finals, he was left off the 23-man squad for Japan to the disappointment of fans. In the second to last warm up match for the 2002 World Cup Finals 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 didn't 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 couldn't 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 Brazil 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's 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 June 8, 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.

Club career

Yokohama Marinos (1997-2002)

In 1997, 19-year-old Nakamura joined Yokohama Marinos of J. League (later merged with Yokohama Flugels and renamed 'Yokohama F. Marinos), a club whose youth side he'd played for when it was known as Nissan Motors FC. He made his début with Marinos on April 16 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.

Reggina (2002-2005)

Following the disappointment of being omitted from Japan's final World Cup squad, Nakamura joined Italian 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.

Celtic (2005-present)

Nakamura expressed interest in playing in Spain and media reports linked him to Atlético Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña of La Liga as well as Bundesliga teams Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2005, but Nakamura ultimately chose to join Scottish Premier League champions Celtic.
   Although Japanese football observer Jeremy Walker warned that Nakamura's lack of pace and stamina may be a problem in Scotland, he made an immediate impact with Celtic, as he was named Man of the Match in his début against Dundee United on August 6, 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 a freekick to bring the game level at 2-2. However, the game ended with the home side winning 3-2. On 14 October 2006, he played in a league game against Dundee United at Tannadice Park and went on to get man of the match as well as score his first hat-trick of his Celtic career. 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 March 3 against Dunfermline Athletic. Gordon Strachan, said that they couldn’t play the second leg of the Champions League match against the European Champions AC Milan in 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 at the San Siro, after extra time.
   On April 22, 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 campaigns 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 F.C. on October 27, 2007, after which Nakamura sat out for nearly three months. Nakamura returned to play on January 12, 2008, for Celtic's Scottish Cup match against Stirling Albion F.C., in which he scored a goal..
   Nakamura has been targeted for racist abuse by some supporters of Glasgow Rangers. At an away tie to Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, 10 April 2008, supporters unfurled a banner with the words "Nakamura ate my dog" recalling an erroneous stereotype of the Japanese. On the 16th of April Nakamura scored his first goal against Old Firm rivals Rangers F.C., with a stunning strike in open play from 30 yards. This Goal Made Nakamura the First Ever Japanese Player to Score in an Old Firm Game.

Honors

Individual honors

J. League Best Eleven: 1999, 2000
J-League Most Valuable Player: 2000
FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe Award: 2003
Asian Cup Best Eleven: 2000, 2004
Asian Cup Most Valuable Player: 2004
SPFA Players' Player of the Year: 2007
SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2007
Scottish PFA Goal of the Season: 2007
Scottish PFA's Team of the Season: 2007
Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: 2007 (Feb)
Celtic Player of the Year: 2007
Celtic Fans Player of the Year: 2007

Team honors

J. League 1st stage: 2000

J. League Cup: 2001

Asian Cup: 2000, 2004

Scottish Premier League: 2006, 2007, 2008

Scottish League Cup: 2006

Scottish Cup: 2007

Club career statistics

In domestic competitions

Season	lub	ountry	pps	oals	ssists	eam Record
1997	Yokohama Marinos	align="left"	27	5	5	3rd place
1998	Yokohama Marinos	align="left"	33	9	8	4th place
1999	Yokohama F. Marinos	align="left"	26	7	7	5th place
2000	Yokohama F. Marinos	align="left"	30	5	11	Runners-up
2001	Yokohama F. Marinos	align="left"	33	3	4	13th place
2002	Yokohama F. Marinos	align="left"	8	4	5	Runners-up
2002-03	Reggina	align="left"	31	7	5	14th place
2003-04	Reggina	align="left"	16	2	2	14th place
2004-05	Reggina	align="left"	33	2	3	10th place
2005-06	Celtic	align="left"	33	6	9	Champion
2006-07	Celtic	align="left"	37	9	12	Champion
2007-08	Celtic	align="left"	25	6	6	Champion

In European competitions

Season	eam	ountry	ompetition	pps	oals	ssists	eam Record
2006-07	Celtic	align="left"		8	2	1	Round of 16
2007-08	Celtic	align="left"		4	0	0	Round of 16

National team career statistics

Appearances in major competitions

Year	Competition	Category	Appearances	Goals	Team Record
Year	Start	ub
1997	1997 FIFA World Youth Championship	U-20	5	0	1	Quarterfinals
2000	2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Senior	3	0	2	Qualified
2000	2000 Olympics	U-23	4	0	0	Quarterfinals
2000	2000 AFC Asian Cup	Senior	5	0	0	Champion
2003	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup	Senior	2	0	3	Round 1
2004	2004 AFC Asian Cup	Senior	6	0	2	Champion
2005	2005 FIFA Confederations Cup	Senior	3	0	1	Round 1
2004-2005	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification	Senior	7	1	1	Qualified
2006	2006 FIFA World Cup	Senior	3	0	1	Round 1
2007	2007 AFC Asian Cup	Senior	6	0	2	4th Place

Goals for national team

Shunsuke Nakamura: International Goals>

#	Date	Venue	Score	Result	Competition
1.	February 16, 2000	Macau, China	9-0	Won	Asian Cup 2000 Qual
2.	June 11, 2000	Miyagi, Japan	1-1	Draw	Friendly
3.	August 16, 2000	Hiroshima, Japan	3-1	Won	Friendly
4.	May 2, 2002	Kobe, Japan	3-3	Draw	Friendly
5.	May 2, 2002	Kobe, Japan	3-3	Draw	Friendly
6.	March 28, 2003	Tokyo, Japan	2-2	Draw	Friendly
7.	June 18, 2003	Paris, France	3-0	Won	Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage
8.	June 18, 2003	Paris, France	3-0	Won	Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage
9.	June 20, 2003	Saint-Étienne, France	1-2	Lost	Confederations Cup 2003 Group Stage
10.	June 9, 2004	Saitama, Japan	7-0	Won	World Cup 2006 Qual
11.	July 20, 2004	Chongqing, China	1-0	Won	Asian Cup 2004 Group Stage
12.	July 24, 2004	Chongqing, China	4-1	Won	Asian Cup 2004 Group Stage
13.	June 22, 2005	Cologne, Germany	2-2	Draw	Confederations Cup 2005 Group Stage
14.	September 7, 2005	Miyagi, Japan	5-4	Won	Friendly
15.	October 8, 2005	Riga, Latvia	2-2	Draw	Friendly
16.	June 12, 2006	Kaiserslautern, Germany	1-3	Lost	World Cup 2006 Group Stage
17.	July 13, 2007	Hanoi, Vietnam	3-1	Won	2007 AFC Asian Cup Group Stage
18.	July 16, 2007	Hanoi, Vietnam	4-1	Won	2007 AFC Asian Cup Group Stage
19.	September 11, 2007	Klagenfurt, Austria	4-3	Won	Friendly
20.	September 11, 2007	Klagenfurt, Austria	4-3	Won	Friendly

Trivia

Nakamura 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.

Nakamura's second son was born on January 15, 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland.

His current boot sponsor is AdidasFurther Information

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