Nakata began playing soccer at the age of nine. First selected to represent Japan in the Under-15's category, Nakata continued to distinguish himself through high school at the National Athletic Meets and the High School Championships as well as in the national Under-17's and -19's teams. His inspired performances did not go without notice of the Japan League sides.

When Nakata graduated from high school, eleven out of the then total of twelve teams attempted to draft him. Nakata's reputation continued to soar through his first year as a professional player with Bellmare Hiratsuka, but it was not until he was picked for the Olympic team -- at 19, the youngest player ever to join -- that he felt the national spotlight in full thrust.

With Nakata's participation, Japan was able to win a ticket to the Olympics, for the first time in 28 years. He was also instrumental in Japan's historic victory over Brazil in Atlanta. His bold game tactics and playing style have earned him a large following of fans both in Japan and abroad. Since his debut match for Japan's senior squad in May 1997 against South Korea, Nakata has performed a key role on the national team.

He spearheaded the way for the ascent through the Asian qualifying round for a successful passage to the World Cup in France, Japan's first-ever entry into the tournament. With no wins, Japan was eliminated in the preliminaries in France, but the three matches were enough to convince professional recruiters of Nakata's potential.

European club teams lost no time in coming forth with offers. On July 24, 1998, Nakata joined AC Perugia in Italy's Serie A. He transferred to AS Roma on Jan. 13, 2000, where he continues to play in the world's most prestigious professional league.

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