Position: Forward
Born: 04.06.79
Club: Hamburg

As the only German-based player in the Japan squad, Naohiro Takahara will be a vitally important member of the squad.

Nicknamed 'Der Sushi Bomber' by club fans, Takahara has struggled to make an impact in the Bundesliga but he contributed some vital goals as his club chased Bayern Munich all the way for the title in 2005/6.

Goalscoring continues to be a problem for Zico and he has experimented with several different forward combinations in recent friendlies.

But few of his forwards will be as desperate to impress in the World Cup as Takahara, who missed the 2002 tournament in his homeland through injury.

Going into the tournament, he stands alongside Atsushi Yanagisawa as having scored the most international goals of any forward in the party.