He was still in a period when the Japanese players didn't feel they were at the level of the rest of the world.'Ī move to Fulham in 2002 appeared to have reinvigorated the midfielder, with goals being scored against the likes of Manchester United, but a broken leg ended his time in West London. Speaking recently, Arsene Wenger said: 'Also at that time lacked a little bit of belief in his qualities, because he was a very good footballer. In his case the team was Arsenal, but he struggled to live up to the hype that met his arrival. With his bleached-blond hair, Inamoto was one of the first Japanese players to delve into European football.

Junichi Inamoto (2000-present, 83 caps, five goals) He has been included in the Team of the Season on five occasions, as well as being named Japanese Footballer of the Year in 2004.ĩ. Still playing for Yokohama F Marinos, many regard Nakazawa to be one of the best ever J-League footballers. The centre-back also contributed a further three goals during the qualification phase to his final World Cup. He retired from international football after captaining the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa having found the net on 17 occasions - a haul which included braces in victories over India and Thailand.

Japan world cup 3 number 7