Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura's disappointing stint at
Espanyol allowed him to reflect on his football ability as he
prepares to lead his country at the World Cup.
"I found out I was short on ability," Nakamura told the mass
circulation newspaper Asahi Shimbun on Friday. "I must come to
terms with my shortcomings. Had I not been to Spain, I wouldn't
have realized this."
The 31-year-old midfielder returned to J-League team Yokohama
F Marinos in February after struggling with Espanyol, where he was
used mostly off the bench and had no goals in 12 games.
Nakamura left Yokohama in 2002 to join Italian club Reggina.
He signed with Celtic in 2005 and helped the Scottish Premier
League team to three consecutive titles.
"It all boils down to how you play in one-on-one situations,"
Nakamura said. "Players in Spain have more confidence. Even if they
are confronted by opponents, they can shake them off before
shooting."
Japan reached the second round when it co-hosted the World
Cup with South Korea in 2002 but has never won a match at the
tournament on foreign soil. For this year's tournament in South
Africa, Japan was drawn in Group E with the Netherlands, Denmark
and Cameroon.
Nakamura is expected to play a key role on the team. Known
for his accuracy in free kicks and long-range passing, Nakamura has
scored 24 goals in 94 international matches since 2000.
