A Japanese genius lights up Celtic Park…
As one local player staked his claim for a place in Gordon Strachan’s Parkhead revolution, another footballer from the other side of the world watched that Motherwell game from the Fir Park stands, whilst a third man was en route from the Far East to Glasgow’s East End. Celtic’s scouting network had taken the Orient Express to land Japanese playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura and Chinese national captain Du Wei, a central defender. They would go on to have vastly different careers at Celtic.
Former Asian Young Player of the Year Du Wei had made his name in the World Youth Cup of 2001, China progressing from a group which included Ukraine, USA and Chile before narrowly losing to hosts and eventual winners Argentina – inspired by top-scorer Javier Saviola – in the Last 16, a game refereed by our old friend Mike McCurry.
Future Celts Andreas Hinkel, Glen Loovens and Scott McDonald would also represent their respective countries in this tournament, the German playing with VfB Stuttgart at the time, some 18 months before his club’s meetings with Martin O’Neill’s Celtic on the Road to Seville, whilst 17-year-olds Loovens and McDonald, two of the youngest players out there, were working with Bert van Marwijk at Feyenoord and Gordon Strachan at Southampton respectively. A number of future international stars also featured in Argentina, most notably Brazil’s Kaka, Michael Essien of runners-up Ghana, and the Dutch trio of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben.
Notwithstanding such exalted company, Du Wei’s performance in South America, as goals from Maxi Rodriguez and Alejandro Dominguez brought the brave Chinese run to an end, drew praise from none other than Argentine superstar Diego Maradona, who said that the big stopper had “the perfect sense of how defending should be played, his speed is unparalleled.” That last phrase always draws a smile!
The following year, Du Wei was part of the Chinese squad which qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time, not featuring in the opening 2-0 defeat by Costa Rica but playing against winners-elect Brazil and surprise semi-finalists Turkey, as China lost all three group games in South Korea to face an early trip home. The Chinese team was coached by Bora Milutinovic, leading his fifth different nation in successive World Cup Finals. The legendary Serb had actually managed group rivals Costa Rica in Italia ’90, infamously beating Scotland in Genoa before losing to Lubo’s Czechoslovakia in the Last 16.
Du Wei’s World Cup Finals debut was the proverbial baptism of fire, facing a Brazilian side which I felt never truly received the praise such a devastating attacking line-up deserved. Roberto Carlos’ stunning free-kick in the opening quarter set the tone, with Cafu and Ronaldinho setting up a second for Rivaldo shortly afterwards. On the stroke of half-time, Ronaldinho made it 3-0 from the spot, after Ronaldo had been pulled back in the box, with Ronaldo picking up his goal early in the second half from another Cafu assist. It was a masterclass from the exciting samba superstars against the inexperienced Chinese.
Another future Celt, Juninho, about to return for a third spell at Middlesbrough from Atlético Madrid, played the first 70 minutes of the match, behind Luis Felipe Scolari’s fantastic ‘Triple R’ strike force.
China’s third and final game also failed to produce a goal and ended in a 3-0 defeat by surprise package Turkey in Seoul. Like the previous game, the damage was done early, Galatasaray pair, Hassan Sas and Bulent scoring within the first 10 minutes. The woodwork denied Yang Chen his place in history before Shao Jiayi saw red for a dreadful challenge. A late third by another Gala man, the Mohawk-brandishing Umit Davala, on loan from Inter Milan, hammered the final nail in the Chinese World Cup 2002 coffin.
Back on home soil, Du Wei’s performances for Shanghai Shenhua saw him become the national team captain and attracted interest from German clubs Borussia Monchengladbach and Kaiserslautern, a 2004 trial there failing to produce a deal. Twelve months later, he was heading to Glasgow and Celtic.
Shunsuke Nakamura had also cut his international teeth in a World Youth Cup, this time the Malaysian finals of 1997. He scored an early goal as the Japanese beat Costa Rica 6-2, securing his team’s passage from a group also containing Spain and Paraguay. Japan would go on to beat Australia in the Last 16, before succumbing to an extra-time defeat by Ghana. At that same quarter-final stage, Uruguay would beat a French side boasting Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Nicolás Anelka, 7-6 on penalty kicks.
Former Celtic coach Damien Duff had scored an extra-time winner for the Republic of Ireland in their Last 16 tie against Morocco, the Irish then memorably beating Spain before losing 1-0 to an Argentina side including the wonderful Joan Roman Riquelme and Pablo Aimar in the semi-final. The Argentines would beat neighbours Uruguay in the final, a rematch of the first World Cup Final, whilst Duff would again produce a winner in the Play-off with Ghana, to secure an excellent bronze medal for Ireland.
On his return from Malaysia, Shunsuke signed for Yokohama F Marinos, a club from his birthplace, owned by Nissan Motors and where he had commenced his early career as a youth. In February 2000, he was given his international debut by Philippe Troussier, later being named Most Valuable Player in the J-League. Nakamura was an ever-present as Japan won the Asian Cup in Lebanon that October, before falling out of favour with the Frenchman Troussier after a crushing 5-0 defeat from the coach’s home country.
Despite regaining his place shortly before the 2002 World Cup, to be held in his native Japan and South Korea, a combination of injury and competition for places saw Shunsuke miss out on a dream appearance on home soil.
A disillusioned Nakamura then decided to ply his trade abroad and, despite interest from Real Madrid, his next destination was Italy’s Serie A, with newly promoted Reggina. A productive first season there, where his goals and assists were vital in ‘gli amaranto’ retaining its top-flight status, was capped by a strong performance in the 2003 Confederations Cup, held in France.
Nakamura’s double in the Stade de France helped the Japanese to a 3-0 first-game victory over New Zealand, the playmaker on target again in his side’s 2-1 defeat by the hosts in St Etienne. Injury caused him to miss the single-goal defeat to Columbia, which marked the end of Japan’s participation, however, his three goals were enough to earn him the Bronze Boot behind Thierry Henry and Turkey’s Tuncay, missing out on the Silver award by a solitary assist.
The tournament will be remembered for the saddest of reasons, as Olympique Lyonnais star Marc-Vivien Foe, at that time on loan to Manchester City, collapsed and died on his home pitch during Cameroon’s semi-final victory over Colombia, the same Stade de Gerland in Lyon where Henrik Larson had suffered a horrific double leg-break four years earlier. In a lovely tribute, Foe would posthumously be awarded the Bronze Ball, Henry and Tuncay again filling the top two places.
An injury-plagued domestic 2003/04 season concluded on a high, Nakamura voted the Most Valuable Player as Japan retained the Asian Cup in China, beating their hosts and fierce rivals 3-1 in the final. Nakamura now sported the famous No.10 jersey once worn by his new national coach, the Brazilian superstar Zico. Lining up against him in Beijing was future Celt, Zheng Zhi.
He would succeed Du Wei as national captain and become the second Chinese player to sign for Celtic, making his debut at Ibrox under Tony Mowbray in a 2-1 defeat in October 2009. Incredibly, the then 38-year-old Zhi was still the captain of China and earning his 108th cap in the 2019 Asian Cup, held in the United Arab Emirates whilst I was over there preparing for the Tokyo Marathon and sharing a Dubai hotel with a Celtic squad enjoying their own winter training camp in what would prove to be the final weeks of the first Brendan Rodgers regime.
Zheng Zhi opened his country’s 2004 account from the spot in the opening 2-2 draw with Bahrain, whilst Shunsuke Nakamura did likewise, with the only goal against Oman, the Japanese playmaker then scoring the equaliser in their second game, a 4-1 win over Thailand. Zheng went one better with a late penalty double in China’s 3-0 quarter-final victory over Iraq, whilst Nakamura surprisingly missed the first shootout spot-kick then heaved a sigh of relief as Japan edged past Jordan by 4-3.
Zheng converted the opening penalty as China won their semi-final by the same margin against Iran, however, the Final say went to Nakamura, a man-of-the-match performance securing a third Asian title for Japan. A third future Celtic star was also on the scoresheet in this competition, stocky Eintracht Frankfurt defender Cha Du-ri plying his trade with his hometown team, thus becoming the first player to represent South Korea having not been born in the country. His moment of glory came in first-half stoppage time in the final group game against Kuwait, the third in a 4-0 victory to secure qualification.
Shunsuke Nakamura began his third season on Italy’s ‘big toe’ under a fifth coach, Walter Mazzarri, the Japanese midfielder’s only two goals of 2004/05 both securing vital 1-0 wins as Reggina escaped relegation by just two points. Frustrated by constant managerial change and annual survival dogfights, Nakamura sought a move elsewhere.
First though, there was the small matter of the 2005 Confederations Cup, to be held in Germany in the second fortnight of June, Japan again representing Asia in their role as continental champions. The hosts featured future Celt Andreas Hinkel, plus a young defender who had a trial at Celtic Park under Martin O’Neill in July 2000, before joining Aston Villa from Bayern Munich’s youth academy, Thomas Hitzlsperger. ‘Der Hammer’ would go on to have a fine career in the Midlands then with VfB Stuttgart, winning the Bundesliga and the majority of his 52 senior caps with the latter.
Hitzlsperger appeared in the home World Cup of 2006, where the Germans took bronze, then Euro 2008, when they lost to Spain in the final in Vienna, but he then missed the final cut for the 2010 squad bound for South Africa. Following less productive spells at Lazio, West Ham, Wolfsburg and Everton, Thomas retired in 2013, later becoming the highest-profile professional footballer yet to ‘come out’ as gay.
In the Germans’ group back in 2005 was Australia, featuring former Celtic striker Mark Viduka, by then approaching his 30th birthday and playing at Middlesbrough. His tournament would comprise just the second half of the Socceroos’ 4-2 defeat by Argentina in Nuremberg, then the first half of a 2-0 loss to Tunisia in Leipzig.
Japan were paired with World Champions Brazil, European title-holders Greece and CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico in Group B, and they got off to the worst possible start as the Mexicans recovered from a goal down to win 2-1 in Hanover, Nakamura substituted after an hour with the sides locked at 1-1.
However, they bounced back immediately with a single-goal victory over Greece in Frankfurt, Shunsuke turning in a man-of-the-match performance before leaving the field in the last minute. He took the star man honours again in the final group game, against the Brazilians in Cologne, Nakamura scoring the first equaliser as the Japanese fought back twice for a 2-2 draw, the Samurai Blue losing out on qualification to the brilliant South American stars and eventual winners only on goal difference.
With Japan’s interest in the Confederations Cup over, Shunsuke weighed up his options. New Celtic manager Gordon Strachan had been impressed with the performances of the Japanese playmaker in Germany and, despite interest from the Bundesliga, Spain, Italy and England, Strachan would win the prized signature, and for less than half the reported £2.5m fee. Over the next few seasons, that would be up there with the Henrik Larsson deal in terms of value for money.
It also raised the profile of Celtic in his native Japan beyond all expectations, as I observed first-hand on a visit there in 2019. Then 41 years of age, Nakamura was still playing in the Japanese top-flight with Jubilo Iwata and he would then spend a further three seasons with hometown club Yokohama FC, before retiring in October 2022. A truly wonderful footballer, respected, revered and adored by supporters from Tokyo to Tollcross.
Whilst Du Wei would be an observer from the stand as Gordon Strachan’s Celtic played their first game after the European elimination by Artmedia Bratislava – a home League fixture with Dundee United on Saturday, 6 August 2005 – and would remain on the first-team sidelines for some time, Shunsuke Nakamura would hit the ground running…and then some.
His debut that sunny day is a JFK moment for me, the Japanese midfielder quite scintillating, a joy to watch for myself and the other 56,000-plus supporters in the ground. His sublime touches enabled Celtic to dominate a United side featuring future Bhoys Mark Wilson and Barry Robson, Parkhead striker John Hartson powering through on the half-hour to score his fourth League goal in two games and send the Hoops in 1-0 at the interval. The crossbar then twice prevented Celtic’s Welsh Dragon from making it two successive hat-tricks, United keeper Derek Stillie stranded as Hartson headers bounced back into play from his goalframe.
The debutant Nakamura saved his own piece de resistance until later on, a stunning free-kick which was screaming into the ‘wrong’ corner before Stillie stretched out a fingertip to touch it around the post. With six minutes remaining, the Japanese genius left the field to a well-deserved standing ovation. He was replaced by Craig Beattie, the young striker then firing in a superb volley from fellow-substitute Shaun Maloney’s flighted cross to clinch the match at 2-0 with just two minutes remaining.
This would prove to be a major turning point in Gordon Strachan’s first season at Celtic Park.
An extract from our Christmas 2023 best seller Majic, Stan and the King of Japan, the latest publication from Celtic Star Books
Hail, Hail,
Matt Corr
Follow Matt on X/Twitter @Boola_vogue
Nakamura with a superb strike in the derby game. The movement he gets on the ball is astonishing and totally fools the keeper. pic.twitter.com/XwwnFWD5OM
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) July 28, 2023
A side view of Nakamura’s title clinching free kick at Kilmarnock. Some top notch screaming going on around the camera holder when it hits the net 🙂 pic.twitter.com/XCrF9IAqbB
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) June 29, 2023
Nakamura with another trade mark free kick, Celtic gave United a real fight that night in the UCL, only going down 3-2 after a blatant piece of simulation cost them a penalty. pic.twitter.com/JuMMrrcY6O
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) August 11, 2023
‘If anyone can do it, he can.’ Nakamura with a title winning free kick at Kilmarnock. Great to see Tommy Burns and Strachan enjoying the moment there. pic.twitter.com/FvDHtn2rhQ
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) May 13, 2024
On this day in 2005 Celtic signed Shunsuke Nakamura from Italian side Reggina. A technically gifted player with a deadly free kick, Naka gave Celtic fans some memorable moments. pic.twitter.com/Z49b8n1aI8
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) July 25, 2023
Nakamura with another trade mark free kick, Celtic gave United a real fight that night in the UCL, only going down 3-2 after a blatant piece of simulation cost them a penalty. pic.twitter.com/JuMMrrcY6O
— Lisbon Lion (@tirnaog_09) August 11, 2023
