The quarter of Japanese Celtic players have paid their tributes to Shunsuke Nakamura as he retires from football at the age of 44.
His career has lasted an outstanding 25 years and today the Parkhead hero has hung up his boots after J League 2 side Yokohama FC's final game of the term today against Roasso Kumamoto, a madcap 4-3 victory. He was substituted after an hour as the curtain came down on an outstanding stint as a player.
Nakamura blazed the trail for the current crop of Celtic players from the Land of the Rising Sun; Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi. He joined the club in 2005 from Reggina and made over 100 appearances, making a name for himself with his trademark free-kick's and unrivalled technical prowess. Through Celtic TV, Kyogo has led the current players in Glasgow in thanking their countryman, where he made himself an icon over a 10-year international career.
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Kyogo Furuhashi: "Thank you for everything, Shunsuke. We wish you all the best.
Daizen Maeda: "Thank you for your many years of great achievement in your personal career. Thank you for making Japanese football more exciting. We will do our best to lead from now on.
Yosuke Ideguchi: "Thank you for your long and active career. Thank you very much for your many inspirations."
Reo Hatate: "Thank you for all your hard work over the years. Thank you for all the inspiration. I was invited to dinner during the off-season and after talking to you, I felt much better and understood the importance of playing for Celtic. I've admired you for a long time. You were my star. I will do my best to be the next player who can inspire someone else."
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