Nakata - Antlers star (Allsport).
KOJI NAKATA
Position: Defender/Midfield
Born: 09.07.79
Club: Kashima Antlers
Rising star of the Japanese game, Koji Nakata is unfortunate enough to share his surname with that of the country's star player Hidetoshi.
Will doubtless be referred to as 'the other Nakata' at some stage during the tournament, but Koji is very much a star in his own right.
With a fearsome shot, he manages to score plenty of goals from midfield with Kashima Antlers in the J-League, despite often being asked to play deep.
He has also been asked to play in defence for the national side where his dribbling skills have often had fans' hearts in their mouths.
Played in the 2000 Olympics where his fine positional sense was a big asset.
At just 22, he clearly has a big future ahead of him and this could just be the stage that catches the eye of those outside of Japan.
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