Hidetoshi Nakata Player Career Award SMC and SB International

After starting out at Bellmare Hiratsuka and playing in the ’98 World Cup with Japan, Nakata moved to Perugia, where he made an immediate impact by scoring a brace on his debut against Juventus and opening the doors of Europe to players from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Then came history: in 2000 he moved to Roma, where he played a decisive role in winning the historic 2001 Scudetto, becoming the first Japanese player to win the Italian league.

He subsequently wore the Parma shirt, lifting the Coppa Italia in 2002, before finishing his career in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers.

With the Japanese national team, he participated in three World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006) and two Olympics, becoming the symbol of a generation.