Why did Shunsuke Nakamura leave Celtic?
His contract ended and he wanted to move on. He originally planned to return to his old club, Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan. However, Nakamura has always wanted to play in the Spanish league, so when Espanyol expressed an interest for him there was a change at the last minute and he signed with them. According to the media, Yokohama F. Marinos didn’t treat Nakamura very well, he was asked to make public appearances with the club before they even signed him, etc. Nakamura’s decision to sign with Espanyol caused much disappointment among his Japanese fans. As for my thoughts on it all, Nakamura was my favourite player at Celtic and at first I was saddened that he’d left, but I think that it was the right time for Nakamura to leave Celtic. He’s served the club well and I don’t think it would have been right if he stayed for another season. He’ll be remembered, that’s for sure and he’s definitely opened a door for more Japanese players. Koki Mizuno is an example, he has a tough act to follo
