The sterling career of Shunsuke Nakamura, the dynamic midfielder from Japan, was marked by exacting technique and tireless play. Born on 24th June 1978, Nakamura, who stands 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall and weighs 11st (70kg), brought a significant impact to the teams he graced with his performances. This flair was evident from his early days in Yokohama F. Marinos where he spent seasons between 1997 and 2002, making seminal contributions with an aggregate of 168 first team appearances and scoring a total of 28 goals in league matches.
In July 2002, Nakamura bid adieu to Yokohama F. Marinos and transferred to Reggina in the Serie C in Italy for a fee of around £1.8m. Here too, over seasons from 2002 to 2005, he proved his mettle with 80 first team appearances and 11 goals. But his true prowess came to the fore during his tenure with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Joining Celtic in July 2005, for a sum around £2.2m proved to be a defining moment both for Nakamura and the club. Over four seasons from 2005 to 2009, Nakamura graced the Celtic colours in 128 first team appearances, and found the back of the net 29 times - becoming an inspirational figure on and off the pitch. His epochal performance helped in rallying the team, and his time here had a significant impact that's still fondly reminisced by Celtic fans.
Following his impactful stay in Scotland, Nakamura transferred to Espanyol in the LaLiga in Spain. In his solitary 2009-2010 season with Espanyol, he made a moderate splash, playing in 13 first team league matches.
A return to Yokohama F. Marinos in March 2010, for roughly £1m, saw Nakamura put on some stellar performances over several seasons. Between 2010 and 2016, Nakamura made a total of 190 first team appearances and scored goal after goal, tallying at 25. However, in January 2017, the J1 League saw him switch sides to Jubilo Iwata with an undisclosed fee. Spending three seasons at Jubilo Iwata, Nakamura bolstered his track record with 48 first team appearances and five goals.
In one of his final career moves, Nakamura transferred to Yokohama FC in the J2 League in Japan in July 2019. Over three seasons, Nakamura had a total of 28 first team appearances. Nakamura always wore his team colours with pride, brilliantly balancing personal achievements with team goals – showcasing to all why he is remembered fondly, especially by the Celtic faithful.
