NEXT STOP - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

Issey Nakajima is a 23 years old attacking midfielder who started his soccer career in Asia, and got his national team debut for Canada in 2006. He was born in Canada, but moved with his family to Japan when he was three. Seven years later they moved to England, where he lived until the age of 16, when he left his family to move back to Japan to pursue a youth contract. After two years as a youth player, he went professional at Albirex Niigata. Later he moved to Singapore for two years, where he was elected young player of the year 2005. Issey now lives in Denmark, where he is currently playing in the Danish Superliga.

We have had a talk to the entertaining winger/striker, and we are proud to present our first professional soccer player in PA!

Name: Issey Nakajima-Farran
Nickname: Izzy
Born: May 16th 1984 in Alberta, Canada
Nationality: Canadian, Japanese English
Position: Attacking MF (left, right, striker)
Club: FC Nordsjælland, Danish Superliga
Former clubs: Vejle Boldklub, Albirex Niigata, Tokyo Verdy
National team games: 10 caps for Canada, 1 for Singapore

When and why did you start playing soccer?
I started in Japan after seeing my first game and was amazed at a 50,000 stand going crazy... How can one player or a team create so much excitement in a stadium? It got me hooked and soccer was the only thing I wanted to do after that night. I was 8.

What is the best moment in your career so far?
Playing my first international tournament, which was the Gold Cup last summer. Scoring is always the best feeling also.

What is your favorite team, and who is your favorite player?
I have never really been a fan...always a player. I like watching teams who are on their best form, like Barca, Man U.. Teams that are playing total football. Wingers with speed and class. Too many these days but wingers that can create mayhem for the opposition. So many to choose from, I like to watch and learn from all of them. Cristiano, Robben..

Why did you choose to play for Canada?
My relatives live in canada and they have never seen me play football, so playing for Canada they can at least catch it on the tv. Plus i was born there.

What is your biggest dream in soccer?
Dream, playing in the Champions League. Playing in the World Cup and getting some silver wear.. Having my close friends and family to experience these moments together would be a dream!

What made you go to Denmark from Japan?
I was playing in Singapore on loan from my Japanese club when I got picked up by Kim Poulsen who brough me to Denmark.

How has the current season been for you?
Season is going ok. I want to score more goals and take FCN further up the table, but I’ve been enjoying the style of football that we play so I’m really enjoying my time here.

What is your strengths, and what do you think you can improve in your game?
I think my strong point is creating chances from different aspects to a game. I need to work a little more on my defending though.

Who is the best player you have ever played with?
Well I’ve worked myself up from the bottom so I’ve played with alot of different players.. But I think when I was on trial in Portsmouth in 2005 the french player Robert and Lua Lua were outstanding. Or Thomas Radzinski for Canada.

What is your preferred position? Striker or winger?
I just prefer getting the ball out wide, left or right. Depends on the days, sometimes I’m more comfortable on the right and sometimes on the left. I like to keep mixing my game up.

You were one of the stars in Vejle. How was it to meet your old fans and club in the VB-FCN cup game?
Vejle fans were good to me and chanted my name when I did some thing good for FCN. It was a really nice feeling having my name chanted by them, and also it was the opposition so it was a special feeling. It was a sudden note that I left Vejle, so I couldn’t really thank the fans or anything, but seeing the town, the stadium, the old team mates was really special. It was strange going into the dressing rooms aswell, and I almost went into the wrong one at half time..! natural reaction I guess. I hoped to have won that game and did a better job to show I have improved in front of my old coach and fans, so I wasn’t too pleased of the outcome. But it was a special night for me. I look forward to playing against them when they come up.

We wish Issey all the best, and maybe we’ll see him in the Champions League or the World Cup in a few years? Thanks a lot to Issey for taking the time to talk to us!