|
Inamoto Junichi (1979- , Kagoshima Prefecture)
One of the stand-out performers on the Japan team at the World Cup in 2002 was Inamoto Junichi. With
his peroxide hair, baby face and constant hustle he won many new fans both at home and abroad.
Two well-taken goals also helped his country do better than many people had predicted. As it
turned out during the course of the tournament, "Ina" had good reason to put on an impressive
performance as it was leaked to the media that his club future was in jeopardy.
Inamoto came up through the ranks with J-League founding team Gamba Osaka, though he had been
playing since he was six. He joined the Gamba Junior Youth team when he was 13 and two years
later made the national under-16 team. At the age of 17 years and six months, he became the
youngest J-League player and a month later its youngest goalscorer. And all this before
graduating from high school.
As a talented 21-year old, Inamoto became the first Japanese player to transfer to the English
Premier League in 2001. Many in the media claimed that the defensive midfielder's move to the
London club Arsenal (said to have been a one-year loan but rumored at four million pounds) was
designed to cash in on the huge merchandising market in Asia. No doubt, Inamoto was keen to
dispel the rumors but he had very few chances to do so. He made no starts in the league and
only had a combined total of five outings in the Champions League and Worthington Cup.
There were stories of his depression at being constantly left on the sub's bench. At the time
he said, "I believe I have the qualities to make it over here. I have watched the Premier League
from Japan and obviously I know that it is very physical. But is also high quality and I believe
I have the qualities to make it over here." The fact that this statement was most certainly not
made in English reveals another common problem facing Japan's sports stars abroad.
During Japan's successful World Cup run, Inamoto awoke one morning to hear on the radio that he
had been dropped by Arsenal. Manager Arsene Wenger, who had a spell in Japan in charge of Nagoya
Grampus Eight, was in town as a commentator and no doubt the matter was discussed face to face.
Shortly after, he was transfered to Fulham, a much smaller London team but a Premier League
side nonetheless. He later had a spell at West Bromwich Albion before leaving England for the Turkish
side Galatasaray in the summer of 2006. |
