TOKYO (Kyodo) — Newly promoted J-League first-division side Yokohama FC will appoint retired player Shunsuke Nakamura as a coach, the club said Friday.
The 44-year-old former Japan midfielder hung up his boots at the end of the J-League second-division season last month after Yokohama FC secured promotion back to the top flight with a second-place finish in the J2.
Nakamura will work with Yokohama FC’s first team under manager Shuhei Yomoda, who steered the club to promotion in his first season at the helm.
“I am very happy to go into battle with Yokohama FC again next season,” Nakamura said through the club. “I want to take on the challenge from scratch, trying all sorts of new things and learning through trial and error.”
A two-time J-League MVP for Yokohama F Marinos, with whom he started his professional career in 1997, Nakamura also won multiple titles with Celtic and remains a beloved figure among fans of the Scottish Premiership side.
His 98 caps for Japan include two World Cups and two Asian Cup-winning campaigns.
Nakamura had expressed hopes of going into coaching after drawing the curtain on his 26-year playing career.
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