Shunsuke Nakamura

Shunsuke Nakamuraimage:Shunsuke Nakamura soccer|Shunsuke Nakamura is a talented Japanese football player, who is presently playing for Yokohama Marinos in J. League. He is popular worldwide for his free kick-taking abilities, and is one of the most well-known and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland. Asteroid 29986 Shunsuke is named in his honor.

This midfielder has also won the Asian Cup simultaneously in 2000 and 2004 whilst with the Japanese national football team and was named as the most valuable player in 2004. Having appeared in the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1997 and the Summer Olympics in 2000, he is also the member of the Japanese under 23 team.

His playing style is quite different than any other players. This supreme player is known as one of the finest players on the planet for his playing skills that is unmatched by any other player. He played in Scotland, Spain and Italy and is a figure of enormous authority in Takeshi Okada’s team.

This idolized player in entire Asia fell in love with football at the tender age of five. After struggling for a professional contract at Yokohama Marinos, he was not selected due to his slight build. But, he convinced the club to take him and take a chance in 1997, a decision which the Nissan Stadium outfit won’t regret. By late 90s, he became an important part in the team and enjoyed an amazing season in 2000 during which he was named as the Japanese footballer of the year.

He is known as one of the most successful Japanese football players in the football history and played in eleven of the Samurai Blue’s South Africa 2010 preliminaries.

His major teams include Yokohama Marinos from 1997 to 1998, Yokohama F Marinos from 1999 to 2002, Reggina from 2002 to 2005, the Celtic from 2005 to 2009 and RCD Espanyol from 2009 to 2010

=== Career Highlights ===

He is the first Japanese player to have scored in 2006 in the UEFA Champions League and also the second Asian player to do so.

He was nominated for Ballon d’Or in 2007. He received numerous individual honors, some of which includes J. League Best Eleven in 1999 and 2000, Japanese Footballer of the Year in 2000, AFC Asian Cup Best Eleven in 2000 and in 2004, SPFA Players' Player of the Year in 2007, Scottish Premier League Player of the Month in 2007 (February) and many more.

He is also the winner of the club achievements like the J. League first stage award in 2000, the J. League Cup in 2001, AFC Asian cup in 2000 and 2004 and many more.