If you hear the name “Shinji,” we are pretty sure some Japanese football players will come to mind.
25 years after J-League started…in this period various Shinji have astonished us with their fantastic performances.
At the end of this article, we have inserted a poll. Play with us and choose which is the “Shinji” that, in your opinion, has made the most great achievements in Japanese football history.
Kagawa Shinji
Club: Real Zaragoza
Especially during his Borussia Dortmund adventure, he was able to demonstrate his full potential.
If you watch his ball control and his sharp dribble, it really seems that the ball is attached to his feet. Thanks to those weapons, he was able to score several goals also against some of the world’s biggest teams and won the Bundesliga title on two occasions.
His wonderful performances at Borussia Dortmund also earned him a transfer to Manchester United.
Okazaki Shinji
Club: Malaga
Always aiming for the goal with all his heart, his goal sense more closely resembles a European player than a Japanese one.
He showed it to all the football fans especially during his experience at Mainz05. His ability to score goals, including in very difficult situations, was something to behold.
Later, he transferred to Leicester City and teamed up on attack with Jamie Vardy. Thanks to them Leicester was able to complete a historic Premier League title win.
Ono Shinji
Club: FC Ryukyu
The achievements of the first two players are astonishing, but we think Ono Shinji can also compete in this battle.
We are sure that if it wasn’t for the severe knee injury in the qualification match for Sydney Olympics his career would have been far more prosperous. He can be considered as one of the most talented player in Japanese history.
Watching him play you can notice how fun football is. During his Feyenoord adventure, nobody was able to excite the audience quite like him.