Japan boss Takeshi Okada has warned Espanyol signing Shunsuke Nakamura that he must play regular first team football. The former Celtic man recently joined Spanish La Liga club Espanyol but Okada wants him to continue playing at the highest level so his performances at international level do not suffer.

"If you don't play in matches, it is tough to keep up your playing instinct as well as your condition," Okada warned.

But he also lauded Nakamura for making such a challenging move at a late stage in his career.

"Even if he is not in good form at the World Cup in South Africa, his move will result in many positives in his life," Okada added.