Midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata has announced his retirement from all football following Japan's exit from the World Cup finals in Germany.

The 29-year-old had spent last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, while he has also played for Perugia, AS Roma, Fiorentina and Parma in Italy.

Nakata confirmed to FIFA's official World Cup website: "I will never go out onto the pitch again as a professional football player.

"I had been determined since half-a-year ago that I would finish my career after the World Cup and retire from the football world where I stayed for some ten years.

"After the match against Brazil on June 22, which was my last game, I felt surely I love football. I was very moved, much more than I had expected.

"Coming into the World Cup, I thought the Japanese team had very good potential. The only disappointment was that we couldn't play to our maximum.

"I tried to lead my team-mates in the past four years. I'm feeling sorry that the World Cup ended like this, but I know now that fans had understood what I've tried to do was right."

Nakata scored 11 goals in 77 appearances for the Blue Samurai, having made his debut back in May 1997 against South Korea.