Shunsuke Nakamura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shunsuke Nakamura

Nakamura with Japan in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	(1978-06-24) 24 June 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Yokohama FC (first team coach)
Youth career
1991–1993	Yokohama F. Marinos
1994–1996	Toko Gakuen High School [ja]
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–2002	Yokohama F. Marinos	148	(33)
2002–2005	Reggina	81	(11)
2005–2009	Celtic	128	(29)
2009–2010	Espanyol	13	(0)
2010–2017	Yokohama F. Marinos	190	(35)
2017–2019	Júbilo Iwata	48	(5)
2019–2022	Yokohama FC	38	(1)
Total		646	(115)
National team
1997	Japan U-20	5	(1)
2000	Japan U-23	4	(0)
2000–2010	Japan	98	(24)
Honours Representing  Japan AFC Asian Cup Winner 2000 Lebanon Winner 2004 China
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Shunsuke Nakamura (Japanese: 中村 俊輔, Hepburn: Nakamura Shunsuke, born 24 June 1978) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He is now a first-team coach for Yokohama FC. He is famous for being one of the best free kick takers ever. Many people also think he is one of the greatest Japanese footballers of all time.

Nakamura started his professional career with Yokohama Marinos in 1997. He played over 300 games for them in two different periods. Between these times, Nakamura played in Europe for teams like Espanyol, Celtic, and Reggina.

While at Celtic, he became one of the best Asian players in Europe. He was even nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or award. In 2007, he won the Scottish Player of the Year award. He also became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League. With Celtic, he won the Scottish Premier League three times (2006, 2007, 2008). He also won the Scottish League Cup twice and the Scottish Cup once.

Nakamura played 98 games for the Japan national football team, scoring 24 goals. He played in the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and 2010. He helped Japan win the AFC Asian Cup in 2000 and 2004. He was named the best player of the 2004 tournament.

Early Football Days

Born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, Nakamura started playing football at age 5. He played for a local club called Misono FC. Even at a young age, people noticed his amazing skills. When he was in fifth grade, he was chosen to join Yokohama's all-star team. They went on a tour to the Soviet Union, even though he was younger than most players.

In 1991, at age 12, Nakamura joined the youth team of Nissan Motors F.C. This club later became Yokohama F. Marinos. He spent an hour every day practicing free kicks, even after team practice. His coaches saw his great ball control and technique. However, he was smaller than his teammates and didn't make the main youth team.

Instead of staying with Nissan, Nakamura went to Tōkō Gakuen High School [ja]. This school was a long two-and-a-half-hour trip each way. Nakamura led his high school team to the national high school football tournament in 1995. They even reached the final in 1996. Because of his great play, he was chosen for the Japan under-20 team. He played in the 1996 AFC Youth Championship and the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.

When he finished high school in 1997, many top Japanese clubs wanted to sign him.

Club Career Highlights

Starting with Yokohama Marinos

In 1997, Nakamura decided to join Yokohama Marinos. This was the same club whose youth team he had left years before. He played his first game for Marinos on March 8, 1997. He finished his first season with 31 games played and 5 goals scored.

The next year, 1998, was a big one for Nakamura. He played 37 games and scored 10 goals. People started to see him as one of Japan's best young players. In 2000, he had his best season in Yokohama. He scored 5 goals and made 11 assists, helping Marinos win the first stage championship. Nakamura was named the J.League Most Valuable Player for his great work.

Because of his success, many European clubs wanted him. He felt he needed to play in Europe to get even better. In 2002, Nakamura left Marinos to join Reggina in Italy.

Playing in Italy with Reggina

Reggina noticed Nakamura after he played a great game against Honduras in 2002, scoring two goals. Reggina had just moved up to Italy's top league, Serie A. They wanted a star player.

Nakamura had high hopes placed on him. He was given the special number 10 jersey. Fans bought 25,000 of his shirts in just five months! He scored in three games in a row early on. He finished his first season with 7 goals, helping Reggina avoid being sent down to a lower league.

However, Nakamura had some tough times in Italy. He got injured in 2003 and played fewer games. Reggina also changed managers four times in his first two years. This made it hard for him to find his best form. He felt he was not growing as a player and decided to move on.

Becoming a Star at Celtic

In 2005, Nakamura chose to join Celtic, a big club in Scotland. Celtic's manager, Gordon Strachan, wanted Nakamura after seeing him play well for Japan. The deal was completed on July 29, 2005.

First Season: 2005–06

Nakamura warming up ahead of Celtic's clash with Dundee United on 6 August 2005

Nakamura joined Celtic when the team was struggling. But he quickly made a difference. In his first game on August 6, he played very well and was named Man of the Match. Fans gave him a standing ovation. His teammates and manager said his arrival helped turn Celtic's season around.

He finished his first season with 38 games, 6 goals, and 10 assists. His creativity and calm play impressed everyone. In his first year, Nakamura helped Celtic win the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup.

Amazing Goals: 2006–07

Nakamura (left) battling for the ball with Karl Dodd of Falkirk during a match in December 2006

In his second season, Nakamura played his first UEFA Champions League game. On September 13, he scored a free kick against Manchester United. This made him the first Japanese player to score in the Champions League! On October 14, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals) for Celtic in a league game.

On November 21, Nakamura scored one of his most important goals. It was a 30-yard free kick against Manchester United again. This goal helped Celtic reach the Champions League knockout stage for the first time. A famous football expert even called it one of the best free-kick goals ever.

On April 22, Celtic won their second league title in a row. Nakamura scored the winning goal with a free kick in injury time! Later that day, he won the Scottish Player of the Year award. He also won the SFWA Footballer of the Year award and Celtic's own Player of the Year awards.

Winning More Titles: 2007–08

Nakamura had a knee injury at the start of the 2007–08 season. He missed almost three months. When he returned, he scored a goal in a Scottish Cup game on January 12.

On April 16, he scored his first goal against Celtic's big rivals, Rangers. It was a fantastic 30-yard volley. Celtic won the game, and later won their third league title in a row on the last day of the season.

Final Season at Celtic: 2008–09

On September 13, 2008, Nakamura played his 100th Scottish Premier League game. On February 28, 2009, he scored another hat trick in a huge 7–0 win.

Short Time at Espanyol

Nakamura during his presentation at Espanyol in August 2009

After his contract with Celtic ended in 2009, Nakamura joined Espanyol in Spain. He played his first game for them on the first day of the season. However, he soon lost his spot in the main team. He often came on as a substitute.

By December, the club was worried about how slowly Nakamura was settling in. The manager thought it was mostly due to cultural differences. Nakamura struggled with language and communication. In February 2010, he decided to return to Japan. He wanted to play more games to be ready for the 2010 World Cup.

Back to Yokohama F. Marinos

Nakamura rejoined Yokohama F. Marinos in 2010, eight years after leaving for Europe. He played in 32 of 34 league games in his first season back.

In 2011, Nakamura became the captain of Marinos. He led the team to their best points total since 2004.

In 2013, Nakamura played 33 games and scored 10 goals. He also helped Marinos win the 2013 Emperor's Cup. He scored a free-kick goal that broke the all-time J1 League record for direct free kicks. Nakamura was injured late in the season, and Marinos lost the league title by just one point. He called this the "worst moment" of his career. Still, he won the J.League Most Valuable Player award again. He was the first and only player to win it more than once.

In 2016, Nakamura became the longest-serving captain in Marinos history. He also scored more free-kick goals, extending his record to 22. After the 2016 season, he decided to leave Marinos. He said he was unhappy with how the club was being run.

Moving to Júbilo Iwata

Nakamura joined Júbilo Iwata for the 2017 season. He scored his first goal for them on March 11, a free kick that increased his record to 23. He also won the J.League Goal of the Month award for April. However, he played fewer games in 2018 and 2019.

Playing for Yokohama FC

On July 11, 2019, Nakamura moved to J2 League club Yokohama FC. He was one of the most experienced players on the team. He played six games in 2019, helping Yokohama finish second and get promoted back to the J1 League.

He played ten more games in 2020 and twelve in 2021. In 2021, Yokohama finished last and was sent down to a lower league. But Nakamura signed a new contract for another year.

Retirement from Playing

Shunsuke Nakamura announced he was retiring from playing football on October 17, 2022.

International Career

Youth National Teams

Nakamura's journey with Japan's national teams began in 1996. He was the only high school player chosen for the Under-19 team. The next year, he was part of Japan's Under-20 team that reached the final 8 in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In 1999, Nakamura joined Japan's Under-23 team. They won all their qualifying games for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Nakamura and Shinji Ono were a strong attacking duo. Japan reached the quarter-finals in Sydney.

Playing for the Senior Team

Nakamura made his debut for Japan's senior national team on February 13, 2000. He scored his first goal against Brunei just three days later.

He played a key role in Japan winning the 2000 AFC Asian Cup. He played in every game of the tournament. However, after a tough 5–0 loss to France in 2001, he didn't play for the national team for almost a year.

Even though Nakamura played well in warm-up games for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he was not chosen for the final squad. This disappointed many fans. The coach at the time, Philippe Troussier, felt Nakamura didn't fit his defensive style of play.

Under Coach Zico

After the 2002 World Cup, a new coach named Zico took over. He immediately brought Nakamura back to the team. Zico praised Nakamura's improvements, especially his physical strength. He said Nakamura was "the soul of our midfield." Nakamura thrived under Zico's attacking style. He helped Japan win the Asian Cup 2004, where he was named the best player. He also helped Japan qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Nakamura scored a goal in Japan's first game against Australia. Japan lost that game 3–1.

After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Nakamura decided to retire from international football.

How He Played

Shunsuke Nakamura was a very skilled playmaker. He could play in different midfield spots, but he usually played as an attacking midfielder behind the forwards. He was left-footed and known for his amazing creativity and long passes. He was especially famous for his accurate free kicks, making him a true set-piece specialist.

Coaching Career

On January 18, 2023, it was announced that Nakamura would become the first team coach for Yokohama FC for the 2023 season.

Personal Life

Nakamura married a former Japanese celebrity in 2004. They had their first son that same year. His second son was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2008. He enjoys video games like Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo. He has appeared on the covers of Japanese football video games. He is also a promoter for a big electronics store. Nakamura has shown off his amazing free-kick skills on TV. He once knocked ornaments off a wedding cake with a ball without touching the cake!

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nakamura goal.

List of international goals scored by Shunsuke Nakamura

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 February 2000	Macau	Brunei		9–0	2000 Asian Cup qualifier
2	11 June 2000	Miyagi, Japan	Slovakia		1–1	Kirin Cup
3	16 August 2000	Hiroshima, Japan	United Arab Emirates		3–1	Friendly
4	2 May 2002	Kobe, Japan	Honduras		3–3	Kirin Cup
5
7	18 June 2003	Saint-Denis, France	New Zealand		3–0	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
8
9	20 June 2003	Saint-Étienne, France	France		1–2	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
10	9 June 2004	Saitama, Japan	India		7–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
11	20 July 2004	Chongqing, China	Oman		1–0	2004 AFC Asian Cup
12	24 July 2004	Chongqing, China	Thailand		4–1	2004 AFC Asian Cup
13	22 June 2005	Cologne, Germany	Brazil		2–2	2005 Confederations Cup
14	7 September 2005	Miyagi, Japan	Honduras		5–4	Friendly
15	8 October 2005	Riga, Latvia	Latvia		2–2	Friendly
16	12 June 2006	Kaiserslautern, Germany	Australia		1–3	2006 World Cup
17	13 July 2007	Hanoi, Vietnam	United Arab Emirates		3–1	2007 AFC Asian Cup
18	16 July 2007	Hanoi, Vietnam	Vietnam		4–1	2007 AFC Asian Cup
19	11 September 2007	Klagenfurt, Austria	Switzerland		4–3	Friendly
20
21	2 June 2008	Yokohama, Japan	Oman		3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22	2 June 2008	Manama, Bahrain	Bahrain		3–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
23	28 March 2009	Saitama, Japan	Bahrain		1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	18 November 2009	Hong Kong	Hong Kong		4–0	2011 Asian Cup qualifier

Awards and Achievements

Yokohama F. Marinos

• J.League Cup: 2001
• Emperor's Cup: 2013

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
• Scottish Cup: 2006–07
• Scottish League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09

Yokohama FC

• J2 League promotion: 2022

Japan National Team

• AFC Asian Cup: 2000, 2004

Individual Awards

• J.League Player of the Year: 2000, 2013
• J.League Best Eleven: 1999, 2000, 2013
• AFC Asian Cup MVP: 2004
• SPFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07
• SFWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
• Celtic Player of the Year: 2006–07
• SPFA Goal of the Season: 2006–07

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