Hidetoshi Nakata

Biography

Hidetoshi Nakata, born on January 22, 1977, in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, is a retired professional football player regarded as one of the most prominent Asian footballers of his time. He began his career in 1995 with J. League club Bellmare Hiratsuka and later made a significant impact in Italy's Serie A, notably with A.C. Perugia and A.S. Roma, where he won the Scudetto in 2001. Nakata was awarded the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998 and represented Japan in three FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, and 2006) and two Olympics (1996 and 2000). He retired at the age of 29 in 2006 after a decade-long career. In 2005, he was honored as a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity for enhancing Italy's image abroad. Nakata has also been involved in the fashion industry.