Nakata in for Waitak at the WCC?

Nakata in for Waitak at the WCC?

TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) - Former Japan midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata has been linked with a return to professional soccer with Manchester City.

 
Japan's Sankei Sports reported on Monday that the Premier League club were considering an offer for the 31-year-old, who abruptly quit the game after the 2006 World Cup.

However, Nakata's management denied the former Roma and Bolton Wanderers player was planning a full-time return to the game.

'We're frankly a little surprised,' Nakata's Sunny Side Up management company said. 'At this time we're not aware he has any such plans.'

The Japanese daily quoted an unnamed City official as saying: 'We heard he was playing in a game in Japan. If he is thinking of returning to the game we'd like to prepare an offer.'

New Zealand's Waitakere United have already approached Japanese officials asking if Nakata could play for them at the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

Nakata, who won an Italian Serie A title with Roma in 2001, stunned Japanese fans by retiring after the 2006 World Cup at the age of 29 following Japan's meek exit from the Germany finals.

He will play for a Japanese side against a World 11 in an exhibition match in Yokohama this weekend.

PROAK2008-06-03 10:16:31

Great bit of PR for the tournament, but he's hardly goign to help on field performance.  I think they should focus on players who are at least playing the game.  Interesting guy Nakata, I read an interview a while back when he was at Roma where he said that he doesn't watch football and reckons he really has little interest in the game apart from playing which suggests to me he's not the kind of guy who'd be keeping himself fit somewhere.  Good to see Waitak showing some ambition though

Yeah, good thinking on Waitak's part but I would think they'd want someone with a little more enthusiasm for the game. While at Bolton he apparently was known to slack off a bit at training.