Japan's most celebrated footballer and the player who first brought Asian talent to European attention — Serie A winner and Asian Player of the Year four times.
Hidetoshi Nakata was the first Asian player to become a genuine star in European football. At Roma he won the Serie A title in 2001. He was named Asian Footballer of the Year four times and became a global cultural icon as much as a sporting one — appearing on the cover of Time magazine's Asian edition. He won 77 Japan caps.
He retired from football aged 29 at the peak of his powers, explaining that he had achieved everything he wanted in the game.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Serie A 2001 (Roma)
- Asian Player of Year 4x
- 77 Japan caps