Midfielder Yasuhito Endo, who was capped a record 152 times for Japan and played in a record 672 J-League first-division games, has retired, his J1 club, Jubilo Iwata, announced Tuesday.
The 43-year-old Endo turned pro in 1998 straight out of high school with the now-disbanded Yokohama Flugels. He won J-League championships with Gamba Osaka in 2005 and 2014 and an Asian Champions League title in 2008.
"For 26 years I've had a long, fulfilling and the best possible soccer career," Endo said on YouTube. "I never thought I'd be able to come this far."
Endo played in three consecutive World Cups for Japan, his goal from a free kick in 2010 contributing to Japan reaching the knockout round that year in South Africa.
His next job will be as a Gamba coach.
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