Celtic icon Shunsuke Nakamura clearly hasn’t lost his golden touch in his veteran years.
The former Parkhead winger was an absolute superstar in Glasgow between 2005 and his departure in 2009. Naka, known for his trademark free-kicks, had an absolute gem of a left-foot on him. And it appears he still does too.
The Japanese icon made 142 appearances for Celtic, and managed to bag 28 goals here too. Legendary strikes against Manchester United, Rangers, and Kilmarnock were the standout ones. His hat-trick at Tannadice, his crucial free-kick at St Mirren, and his beautiful chip at home to Dundee United are other standouts.
But he’s shown that golden touch hasn’t deserted him just yet. The ex-Celt now plays for hometown team Yokohama FC. Yesterday, they took on Tokyo Verdy. Naka came up with this:
It was his first goal of the season for his hometown club, and what a rifle it was. It wasn’t quite a trademark free-kick, but it was a bullet of a strike.
Naka’s team went on to win the game 2-1, as he made his ninth appearance of the season. Incredibly, that’s despite being 41 years of age. It’s incredible to think the Japanese sensation is still wowing crowds a full 10 years after leaving Parkhead.
A player with such unique ability he couldn’t be replaced
Nakamura was never quite replaced. Sure, players took up his position, and talented ones at that. But in terms of what he brought to the side – he was a talent that was just so unique.
His ball-control was immense, as he never seemed to lose possession. That, combined with his passing, made him such a key option for Gordon Strachan.
It was also no accident that all of Nakamura’s goals were absolute stunners. He didn’t do tap-ins, with all of his strikes containing class that rippled through them.
He’ll always be remembered as a Celtic hero. His performance levels rarely dipped, and on the big occasion he would always come up trumps for the Hoops.
And it appears he’s continuing to do that for Yokohama. Hopefully, we see Naka back at Parkhead taking in some games once he fully retires from football. He’s a special guest supporters would love to see back at the club.
But for now, he’s still keeping busy by scoring beauties at the tail-end of his career.
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