TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan’s forgotten man Kengo Nakamura has insisted that being 30 should not matter and wants to win back his international place despite being left out in the cold since October.
“To hear that there’s no hope once you pass 30 is sad,” Nakamura told Japanese media after scoring twice in Kawasaki Frontale’s 2-1 J.League win over Gamba Osaka on Sunday.
The no-nonsense midfielder spent many of his 52 internationals watching the mercurial Shunsuke Nakamura from the bench or playing when his namesake was unavailable.
But he gave watching Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni a timely reminder of what he is missing by curling home an injury-time free kick winner in typhoon conditions in Kawasaki.
“Zaccheroni?” he told the Sports Hochi newspaper. “I don’t worry about that sort of stuff. It’s up to the coach to decide who he picks or doesn’t pick.”
Japan take on Peru on Wednesday before facing the Czech Republic on June 7 in their first full internationals since the deadly earthquake and tsunami in March.
Nakamura, who unlike Shunsuke has not formally quit international football, insisted he would relish the chance to play at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He played a bit-part at the 2010 finals in South Africa, coming within a whisker of scoring against Paraguay in the last 16 where Japan were knocked out on penalties.
“I remember everything so vividly,” he said of his substitute appearance against the South Americans. “I actually had two chances to be the hero. “I’d love to have that 40 minutes back.”
“To hear that there’s no hope once you pass 30 is sad,” Nakamura told Japanese media after scoring twice in Kawasaki Frontale’s 2-1 J.League win over Gamba Osaka on Sunday.
The no-nonsense midfielder spent many of his 52 internationals watching the mercurial Shunsuke Nakamura from the bench or playing when his namesake was unavailable.
But he gave watching Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni a timely reminder of what he is missing by curling home an injury-time free kick winner in typhoon conditions in Kawasaki.
“Zaccheroni?” he told the Sports Hochi newspaper. “I don’t worry about that sort of stuff. It’s up to the coach to decide who he picks or doesn’t pick.”
Japan take on Peru on Wednesday before facing the Czech Republic on June 7 in their first full internationals since the deadly earthquake and tsunami in March.
Nakamura, who unlike Shunsuke has not formally quit international football, insisted he would relish the chance to play at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He played a bit-part at the 2010 finals in South Africa, coming within a whisker of scoring against Paraguay in the last 16 where Japan were knocked out on penalties.
“I remember everything so vividly,” he said of his substitute appearance against the South Americans. “I actually had two chances to be the hero. “I’d love to have that 40 minutes back.”
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