Hidetoshi Nakata

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Hidetoshi Nakata
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Nakata in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth (1977-01-22) January 22, 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1986–1989 Hokushin Boys Soccer Club
1989–1992 Kofu Kita Jr. H.S.
1992–1995 Nirasaki H.S.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1998 Bellmare Hiratsuka 85 (16)
1998–2000 Perugia 48 (12)
2000–2001 Roma 30 (5)
2001–2004 Parma 67 (5)
2004 → Bologna (loan) 17 (2)
2004–2006 Fiorentina 20 (0)
2005–2006 → Bolton Wanderers (loan) 21 (1)
Total 288 (41)
International career
1991–1993 Japan U-17 6 (2)
1994–1995 Japan U-20 12 (6)
1995–2000 Japan U-23 12 (3)
1997-2006 Japan 77 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hidetoshi Nakata, Cavaliere OSSI (中田 英寿 Nakata Hidetoshi?, born January 22, 1977 in Yamanashi Prefecture), is a retired Japanese football player who played as a midfielder. He is widely considered to be one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation, and one of the greatest Japanese players of all time.[1]

Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S. Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2006) and competed in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000). In 2005, he was made the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas.[2] Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing.

Nakata announced his retirement at age 29 on July 3, 2006 after a ten-year career that included seven seasons in the Italian Serie A and a season in the English Premier League. In March 2004, Pelé named Nakata in his FIFA 100, a list of the top living footballers at the time. Nakata was the only Japanese, and one of only two Asian footballers (the other being Korean defender Hong Myung-Bo) to be named on the list.

Club career

Nakata began his professional career at age 18 in 1995, with J. League side Bellmare Hiratsuka (now Shonan Bellmare). After the 1998 World Cup in France, Nakata was signed by A.C. Perugia in Italy's Serie A for 4M US$,[3] becoming the second Japanese player ever to appear in the Italian top league after Kazu Miura had done it for Genoa four years earlier. In his first season in Italy, Nakata scored 10 goals, his single-season highest total.

File:Hidetoshi Nakata November 2011.JPG
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Roma

In January 2000, after one and a half seasons at Perugia, Nakata moved to Roma for 42 Billion ITL (€21.691 million)[4] helping the team win the scudetto. The highlight of Nakata's career at Roma came on May 6, 2001 in the Serie A match against Juventus at Stadio Delle Alpi. After replacing Francesco Totti in the second half with Roma trailing 0–2, Nakata netted with a 30-yard goal beyond Juventus goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's reach, with 11 minutes left in the match. He then helped Roma score the equalizer when his fierce drive from outside the box was parried by Van der Sar into the path of Vincenzo Montella, who scored for Roma in the last minute. The match ended with a 2–2 draw and Roma maintained a six-point margin atop the league table.[5]

Later years (2001–2006)

In the summer of 2001, Nakata joined Parma[6] for 55 billion lire (€28.4 million)[7][8] a world record payment for an Asian player which would not be broken for 14 years.[9] He played there for two and a half seasons. He scored a crucial goal in the first leg of the Coppa Italia final against Juventus, which Parma eventually won.

In January 2004, Nakata joined Bologna where he played the remainder of the 2003–04 season before moving to Fiorentina, where he played the following season. In August 2005, Nakata moved to Premiership side Bolton Wanderers on loan. During his season at Bolton, which would be the last of his professional career, he scored once in the league, in a 2–0 win over West Bromwich Albion.[10]

International career

After having represented Japan at the 1993 U-17 World Championship (where he scored a goal) and at the 1995 U-20 World Championship (where he scored twice), Nakata was part of the Japan squads at the 1996 Olympics, where Japan upset Brazil,[11] and at the 2000 Olympics. His senior national team debut came in May 1997 against South Korea.[12]

He was a key member of the Japanese side that qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring five goals in qualification matches and setting up all three Japanese goals in the qualification play-off against Iran. He helped Japan reach the final of the 2001 Confederations Cup but left the national team before the final to join Roma for their final league matches.[13] Nakata played in all four of Japan's matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, scoring the second goal of a 2–0 first round win against Tunisia.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Nakata played in all three matches for Japan, losing to Australia and Brazil, and drawing with Croatia. His performance against Croatia earned him a Man of the Match award.[14] After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, on July 3, 2006, Nakata announced his retirement from professional football and the Japanese national team on his personal website "I decided half a year ago that I would retire from the world of professional football ... after the World Cup in Germany." Nakata wrote, "I will never again stand on the pitch as a professional player. But I will never give up football."[15][16] In a 2014 interview in TMW Magazine, Nakata confirmed that he had retired at a such a young age because he was no longer enjoying football, and wanted instead to see what was going on in the world.[17]

Despite Nakata playing every match in Japan's first three World Cup appearances, he was not selected for the country's Asian Cup-winning squads in 2000 and 2004. In total, he was capped 77 times for Japan, scoring 11 goals, 9 of which came in official FIFA competitions.[12]

Style of play

A quick, creative, hard-working, and offensive-minded central midfielder, with an eye for goal, Nakata was known for his technical ability, his vision, and his ability to make attacking runs into the penalty area and score goals; he also possessed a powerful shot from outside the area.[1][18][19]

Media

Having been signed to sportswear company Nike, Nakata featured in Nike's "Secret Tournament" advertisement (branded "Scorpion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam, in the buildup to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.[20] He appeared alongside other star football players from around the world, including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Luís Figo, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos and Francesco Totti, with former player Eric Cantona the tournament "referee".[20][21]

Career statistics

Club Season League League Cup League Cup Continental1 Super Cup2 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bellmare Hiratsuka 1995 J. League 26 8 2 1 - 6 1 1 0 35 10
1996 26 2 3 0 12 2 3 0 - 44 4
1997 21 3 3 0 6 1 - - 30 4
1998 12 3 - - - - 12 3
Total 85 16 8 1 18 3 9 1 1 0 121 21
Perugia 1998–99 Serie A 33 10 - 0 0 - - 33 10
1999–2000 15 2 - 4 1 3 1 - 22 4
Total 48 12 - 4 1 3 1 - 55 14
A.S. Roma 1999–2000 Serie A 15 3 - 1 0 2 0 - 18 3
2000–01 15 2 - 0 0 7 1 - 22 3
Total 30 5 - 1 0 9 1 - 40 6
Parma 2001–02 Serie A 24 1 - 6 2 8 1 - 38 4
2002–03 31 4 - 2 0 4 0 1 0 38 4
2003–04 12 0 - 2 0 4 1 - 18 1
Total 67 5 - 10 2 16 2 1 0 95 9
Bologna 2003–04 Serie A 17 2 - 0 0 - - 17 2
Total 17 2 - 0 0 - - 17 2
Fiorentina 2004–05 Serie A 20 0 - 3 0 - - 23 0
Total 20 0 - 3 0 - - 23 0
Bolton Wanderers 2005–06 Premier League 21 1 3 0 2 0 6 0 - 32 1
Total 21 1 3 0 2 0 6 0 - 32 1
Career total 288 41 11 1 38 6 43 5 2 0 382 53

1Includes other competitive competitions, including the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League. 2Includes other competitive competitions, including the Japanese Super Cup and Supercoppa Italiana.

National team

[12]

Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
1997 16 5
1998 10 1
1999 3 0
2000 4 0
2001 7 1
2002 8 2
2003 11 1
2004 2 0
2005 10 0
2006 6 1
Total 77 11

Appearances in major competitions

Team Competition Category Appearances Goals Team Record
Start Sub
 Japan 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship U-17 3 0 1 Quarterfinals
 Japan 1994 AFC Youth Championship U-19 6 0 2 Runner-up
 Japan 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship U-20 4 0 2 Quarterfinals
 Japan 1996 Olympics qualification U-22 5 0 1 Qualified
 Japan 1996 Olympics U-23 2 0 0 Round 1
 Japan 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification Senior 11 1 5 Qualified
 Japan 1998 Dynasty Cup Senior 2 0 2 Champions
 Japan 1998 FIFA World Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1
 Japan 2000 Olympics qualification U-22 2 0 1 Qualified
 Japan 2000 Olympics U-23 3 0 1 Quarterfinals
 Japan 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 4 0 1 Runner-up
 Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup Senior 4 0 1 Round of 16
 Japan 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 3 0 1 Round 1
 Japan 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1
 Japan 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification Senior 5 0 0 Qualified
 Japan 2006 FIFA World Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1

International goals

[12]

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. June 22, 1997 Tokyo, Japan  Macau 10-0 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2. June 22, 1997 Tokyo, Japan  Macau 10-0 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
3. June 28, 1997 Tokyo, Japan  Oman 1–1 Draw 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
4. September 7, 1997 Tokyo, Japan  Uzbekistan 6–3 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
5. November 8, 1997 Tokyo, Japan  Kazakhstan 5–1 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
6. February 15, 1998 Adelaide, Australia  Australia 3–0 Won Friendly
7. June 7, 2001 Yokohama, Japan  Australia 1–0 Won 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Semi-finals
8. March 27, 2002 Łódź, Poland  Poland 2–0 Won Friendly
9. June 14, 2002 Osaka, Japan  Tunisia 2–0 Won 2002 FIFA World Cup Group Stage
10. June 18, 2003 Saint-Denis, France  New Zealand 3–0 Won 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Group Stage
11. February 28, 2006 Dortmund, Germany  Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–2 Draw Friendly

Honours

Club

Bellmare Hiratsuka[22]
Roma[22]
Parma[22]

International

Japan[23]

Individual

Achievements

Outside of football

Outside of football Nakata has shown interest in fashion, attending runway shows, wearing designer clothing and sporting colorful haircuts. He dyed his hair blond for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, hoping to attract the attention of European scouts. Japanese hairstylist Aki Watanabe credits him as a trendsetter.[29] Andrea Tenerani, photographer for GQ in Italy said of Nakata, "He's perfect; he's like a model. And he's totally obsessed with fashion."[30] Calvin Klein designer Italo Zucchelli said, "(Nakata) plays with fashion like all of them now, but in a cooler, more sophisticated way than many others."[31] He is one of the models featuring the Calvin Klein underwear campaign 2010. He was featured in the July 2007 US version of GQ with a 12-page spread on fall fashion. He was featured in GQ in his home country in December 2011.[32]

Often regarded as a Japanese David Beckham,[33] because of his obsession with fashion and his status as a role model for many Asian Football exports to Europe,[citation needed] Nakata is an editor-at-large at Monocle[34] at the invitation of his friend Tyler Brûlé, who serves as the magazine's editor-in-chief.

Nakata has cited the popular manga and anime series, Captain Tsubasa, as his primary inspiration in choosing football as a career.[35]

In recent years, he has also been an active supporter of Special Olympics football and participated in the 2010 Special Olympics Unity Cup[36] in South Africa during the World Cup. Nakata was named a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics in 2014.[37]

Towards the end of 2015, Nakata entered into a partnership with Kee Club in Hong Kong to open Koko, a Hong Kong based restaurant that serves sakes created by Nakata himself. He has developed his own line of sake as well as creating his own mobile educational app, "Sakenomy". Expressing interest in educating the public about sake, Nakata stated, "People recognise brands of wine but not usually brands of sake. There is a lack of information and branding when it comes to sake. That’s why I thought I needed to create a brand that people can recognise and understand. My purpose is to expand the market for all sake not just my own. You can pair any type of cuisine with sake. It can go with French, Italian, even Chinese food, not just Japanese cuisine." [38]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2001/jul/24/newsstory.sport1
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ (Italian) Source: http://www.repubblica.it/online/campionato_partite/juveroma/juveroma/juveroma.html
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Source: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1436739.html
  34. ↑ Hide Chaser ｜nakata.net - 中田英寿オフィシャルホームページ
  35. ↑ 'I don't understand why people are football fans. I don't like to watch any kind of sport' - by Jonathan Northcroft, The Sunday Times, January 1, 2006.
  36. ↑ http://www.specialolympicsnig.org/unified_sports.html
  37. ↑ http://www.specialolympics.org/Press/2014/Nakata_Named_Global_Ambassador.aspx
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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Preceded by Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize Winner
1997		 Succeeded by
Kazuhiro Sasaki

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