Shinji Okazaki, who has scored 50 goals for the national team, reveals his pride as a professional striker.
The ’23-’24 European soccer season is in its final stages. Belgium, where a number of Japanese players are currently playing, is in the midst of the playoffs. Sint-Troiden, whose management is owned by the Japanese company DMM.com, is challenging for Playoff 2, in which the teams ranked 7th through 12th in the regular season will participate.
The May 17 match against OH Leuven was the last home match for former Japan international Shinji Okazaki, who started alongside Jorur Chima Fujita (22) and Rihito Yamamoto (22), both of whom played in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers for the Paris Olympics (Qatar) in April and May. A knee injury had kept him out of official competition for about five months since December of last year, but he made his first start of the season after a period of rehabilitation.
Playing in his longtime familiar first-choice position, Okazaki showed his dedication to defense. Okazaki was a dedicated defender, and although decisive chances were hard to come by, his typical muddle-headed style of play was still there.
When he was replaced seven minutes into the second half, he was escorted off the pitch with a smile by a floral arrangement that included not only his Sint-Troyden teammates but also opposing players and staff, including Kento Mikan (28) and Yoshihiro Akemoto (26). The fact that Okazaki was able to receive such a reception was due to the high regard in which he was held for his humanity and the love of many people.
He made nearly 600 official appearances at the club level during his 20 years as a professional in Japan, Germany, England, Spain, and Belgium, and made 119 appearances for the national team.
Okazaki surprised many by scoring double-digit goals in two consecutive seasons in the German Bundesliga (13-15) and winning the Premier League title in the 15-16 season with Leicester. However, the impact of his 50 goals for Japan is still very strong. He is third on the all-time Japan national team scoring list, behind Kunishige Kamamoto (80) with 75 goals and Tomoyoshi Miura (57, UD Oliveirense) with 55 goals.
