Japanese · Yokohama, Japan · Born 24 June 1978Japanese footballer renowned for exceptional free-kick ability and technical skills, achieved legendary status at Celtic FC and represented Japan 98 times.
Shunsuke Nakamura was born on 24 June 1978 in Yokohama, Japan, and began playing football at five years old with local club Misono FC before joining the youth setup of Nissan Motors FC, a predecessor of Yokohama F. Marinos, at 12. Even as a schoolboy, Nakamura practised free kicks for an hour every day outside of regular team training, obsessively honing the left-footed technique that would become his career's defining trademark. Nakamura made his professional debut with Yokohama F. Marinos in 1997 and won the J.League MVP award in 2000, becoming the only player in the league's history to win the honour on multiple occasions when he claimed it again in 2013. He moved to Italy's Reggina in 2002 before joining Celtic in 2005, where he became one of the finest Asian players ever to grace European football. At Celtic, Nakamura's dead-ball mastery became the stuff of legend — teammate and pundit Steve Perryman once remarked that he "could open a tin of beans with his left foot." He scored spectacular free kicks against Manchester United in the Champions League and was named Scottish Player of the Year in 2007, the same year he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Japanese player to score in the Champions League. Nakamura earned 98 caps for Japan, representing his country in the Asian Cup and Confederations Cup, before spells at Espanyol and a long return to Yokohama F. Marinos and other Japanese clubs. He finally retired in 2022 at 44 years old, and moved into coaching, becoming head coach of Yokohama FC before joining the Japan national team as an assistant coach in 2026.
Masterful free-kick technique and creative playmaking ability
How They Played
Creative attacking midfielder with exceptional technical ability, vision, and dead-ball expertise
Lasting Impact
First Asian player to achieve major success in Scottish football and inspired generation of Japanese players in Europe
Career Honours
- Scottish Premier League 3x (Celtic)
- 98 Japan caps
- J-League Division 1 2003
- J-League Division 1 2004
- Scottish Premier League 2006
- Scottish Premier League 2007
- Scottish Premier League 2008
- Scottish Cup 2007
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 1997–2002 | 148 | 33 | #10 |
| Reggina | 2002–2005 | 81 | 11 | — |
| Celtic | 2005–2009 | 128 | 29 | — |
| Espanyol | 2009–2010 | 13 | 0 | — |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 2010–2017 | 190 | 35 | #10 |
| Júbilo Iwata | 2017–2019 | 48 | 5 | — |
| Yokohama FC | 2019–2022 | 38 | 1 | — |
 Japan | — | 98 | 24 | — |
Japanese Athletes