Former Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi says he feels "no regrets" about his decision to retire at the age of 43 and plans to help coach players to produce "perfect" performances on the international stage.

"I decided to retire after I came to feel strongly that I want to make a contribution in a different way from being a player" to further improve Japanese football, Kawaguchi told a press conference Wednesday in Sagamihara, near Tokyo.

Kawaguchi, who ended his career with a third-tier club in the country's professional J-League, confessed he had been in two minds in recent years over whether to hang up his gloves. But he made up his mind after Japan advanced to the Round of 16 in the World Cup finals in Russia.

"I think I still can perform as a player but I feel no regrets. I am firmly resolved to move forward to take the next step," Kawaguchi said in the room packed with some 130 reporters, photographers and TV crew members.

Kawaguchi said he will work on becoming a coach who can train footballers to reach the "perfect" level in matches.

Kawaguchi played for Japan at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and ranks third on the list of career caps for the national team with 116. He represented Japan in four straight World Cups, starting from the nation's 1998 debut in France. His career has included stints with English club Portsmouth and Danish side Nordsjaelland.