Former Japan midfielder and FC Tokyo player Naohiro Ishikawa has decided to end his 18-year football career after this season.
As reported by Japan Times, the 36-year-old midfielder revealed on his official blog that he has struggled to recover from surgery on his left knee that he underwent last summer. In June, he had told his club FC Tokyo of his desire to retire.
“I made my comeback last September but I aggravated my left-knee injury and have been in rehab since. I haven’t been recovering the way I had hoped to and it has been frustrating not to be able to contribute to the team on the pitch,” said Ishikawa.
“Still, I hope to play the remainder of the season with more readiness, responsibility, and pride than ever,” he said.
Starting his career at Yokohama F. Marinos, Ishikawa joined FC Tokyo in 2002, where he has scored 51 goals in 297 appearances and helped the capital-based club win the League Cup in 2004 and 2009.