In 2018, a soccer star of only 1.64 meters tall stood out in a wave of bloodshed in the Japanese national team, wearing the "No. 10" uniform symbolizing the leadership of the national team, which signals that he will become the core of the Japanese team in the future. This son in the Portuguese Super League made a big splash, with the pitch rare "double 20" data attracted global attention. He then moved from Portugal to Kadar's FC Durrell for a record transfer fee of 35 million euros for an Asian player, the legendary little man who is Shoya Nakajima.
Photo/Website: Shoya Nakajima, who received the No. 10 jersey from Shinji Kagawa (https://www.lalasport.com/2019/)
Although Shoya Nakajima joined Durrell in a record transfer, he only spent half a season there before returning to Portugal and joining the giants of Porto. Luckily for him, he was also given Porto's "No. 10" jersey, recognizing his status and expectations in the team. However, just when people were expecting him to make another leap, Porto manager Conceição abandoned him and he only started five matches in the whole season, and spent the rest of the time as a substitute or sitting on the bench. Has Shoya Nakajima met his Waterloo? Let's analyze his recent situation through statistics.
Growing up with his mother after his parents divorced, Shoya Nakajima began his soccer journey at the age of six by joining the Tokyo Green team's ladder, and in 2004 he represented the Tokyo Select team in the National Sports and won the championship. In 2004, he played for the Tokyo Green youth team and won the National Sports Championship. In the Tokyo Green youth team, he helped the team win the Japan Club Youth Championship for two consecutive years and had the opportunity to study abroad for a short period of time in Brazil and Holland as a youngster.
Shoya Nakajima received his first professional contract in 2012 and had an outstanding 2012-2013 season with FC Tokyo, attracting the attention of the J2 League's Toyama Victory. Although the team eventually fell to the J3 League, Shoya's addition to the team brought more variety to the offense. Returning to FC Tokyo six months later, Shoya began to get more and more opportunities and led the Japan U23s to the Asian U23 Cup title in 2016. Despite missing the Toulon Cup and a large number of matches due to injury, he made it to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and proved his worth by gaining the trust and patience of then FC Tokyo boss Yoshiyuki Shinoda.
Photo/Website: Shoya Nakajima, who plays for FC Tokyo (https://news.livedoor.com/)
Shoya joined Portimão Man on loan in the 2017/2018 season, contributing 29 league games, 10 goals and 10 assists during the season, becoming a focal point of the Portuguese Superliga. With an average score of 7.24 in WHOSCORED's ratings, second in the team and 11th in the Portuguese Premier League, he has arguably become a power forward in the Liga MX.In 2018, he began representing the Japan national team and, although he failed to qualify for the World Cup, he became the new leader of the Japanese national team under his new manager, Mori Bohichi.
Upon his return to the Portimão Mannschaft, Shoya continued to perform well, contributing 5 goals and 5 assists in 13 matches, with an overall rating of 7.25. However, in March 2019, he moved to Durhal for €35 million, breaking his previous record transfer fee for an Asian player. It has been predicted that he could be a lure for Paris Saint-Germain, as Duhail and Paris Saint-Germain are managed by the same group, which brings Shoya closer to joining the world's top club.
Photo/Website: Shoya Nakajima, who plays for the Portimans (https://twitter.com/HalaTransfers/)
But Shoya transferred back to Portugal again after only half a season in Duhaille, joining Porto. In the new season, fans were expecting him to revitalize his career in Portugal, but Conceição's position as manager has been a major setback for him. Next, we'll analyze whether Shoya Nakajima has suffered a career low using statistics.
