Position: Defender/Midfielder
Born: 13.01.80
Club: Gamba Osaka

A right-sided defender who can also play in midfield, Akira Kaji is the sort of versatile footballer all national team coaches look for when choosing World Cup squads.

That is not to say he will be going to Germany merely to make up the numbers - far from it. Kaji was second only to Tsuneyasu Miyamoto in total minutes played during qualifying.

However, competition for places at full-back and in midfield is so intense that Kaji - who made a successful move from FC Tokyo to Gamba Osaka before the current J-League season began - has a real fight on his hands to get into Zico's first XI.