Junichi Inamoto retires at 45

Former Japanese midfielder Junichi Inamoto, scorer of two goals at the 2002 World Cup and the country's first player to play and score in the English Premier League with Fulham, announced his retirement on Wednesday. The 45-year-old played for Japan in three consecutive World Cups, starting in the 2002 tournament when he scored in a 2-2 draw against Belgium and then set up the goal winner in a victory (1-0) against Russia, their first World Cup triumph. Trained at Gamba Osaka, he made his professional debut in 1997 at 17 years and six months, setting a since eclipsed record as the youngest player to play in the J-League, before joining Arsène Wenger's Arsenal on loan in the summer of 2001. He was limited to appearances in the Champions League and League Cup as the Gunners won the 2002 title.

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Subsequently, Junichi Inamoto (82 caps, 5 goals) joined Fulham on another loan from Gamba after the World Cup and his goal in September 2002 at home to Tottenham was the first scored by a Japanese in the top division English. He also played for West Bromwich on a permanent contract in 2004 and went on to play for Cardiff, Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt and Rennes before returning to Japan in 2010 with Kawasaki Frontale, with whom he remained until 2014. He his last J1 appearance with Consadole Sapporo in 2018 and played for SC Sagamihara before joining Nankatsu SC in Japan's fifth division in 2022, a club led by mangaka Yoichi Takahashi, known for his popular Captain Tsubasa series.