Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda announces retirement

He made his debut for the national team in 2008 and made 98 appearances, scoring 37 goals. Honda was part of Japan's squad which won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Japan's Keisuke Honda celebrates after scoring his site's second goal during the group H match between Japan and Senegal at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Yekaterinburg Arena. | AP 

MOSCOW: Japan's veteran attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda has announced his retirement from international football after his national team lost 2-3 to Belgium in a Round-of-16 game in the FIFA World Cup.

"I am concluding my career in the national team. I am happy, because we have a lot of good young players, and now it is their turn to write the history of Japanese football," the 32-year-old former AC Milan and CSKA Moscow player told journalists, reports Sputnik news agency.

He made his debut for the national team in 2008 and made 98 appearances, scoring 37 goals. Honda was part of Japan's squad which won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

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