Shingo Nakano goes from late addition to leading scorer for Albirex Niigata

SINGAPORE –Seeking an import who could step up to the first team as and when needed, Albirex Niigata signed Japanese forward Shingo Nakano to fill their Under-21 foreigner slot in late May, three weeks after the 2024-25 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season had started.

The 20-year-old has since gone from late addition to their most important player. Despite missing pre-season with the club, Nakano has hit the ground running, scoring 18 goals in 19 games to become the club’s top scorer.

He will be hoping to extend his scoring streak in an SPL encounter against Geylang International at the Jurong East Stadium on Feb 9 as Albirex, who sit fourth in the nine-team table, look to return to winning ways after losing both of their matches in 2025.

Eager to kick-start his footballing career, Nakano had enrolled in El Camino College in California at the age of 18 in 2023, after leaving Sano Nihon University Senior High School in Japan.

Just as he was getting to grips with college football, a serendipitous call came from Albirex.

Despite being just a year into his studies in the United States, Nakano took the leap to sign his first professional contract.

He said in English: “I have a lot of friends who play soccer in Japan and I know so many good players there. If they came here, they would definitely (be good enough to) play.

“In fact, I think a lot of them are better than me and yet they cannot be a professional player. Not everyone gets that opportunity because it is very difficult.”

Hence, when Albirex’s offer came, he did not need to think too much before accepting the offer. “I called up a few of my friends and family and they all congratulated me,” said Nakano. “This is what I had wanted for a long time.”

While he admitted surprise at his scoring spree, Nakano has made no secret of his targets of winning the SPL’s Young Player of the Season award and being part of the Team of the Season, which he hopes will help pave his path to playing in the J.League or in Europe.

Albirex coach Keiji Shigetomi believes that Nakano has what it takes to make it in European football, if he stays on this trajectory.

The Japanese coach said: “I believe he has the potential, and I fully support him in pursuing that goal. He is just 20 but is scoring consistently and growing into a strong player.”

Looking ahead to the battle with the Eagles, Shigetomi said: “We need to stay well-organised as a team and capitalise on our chances.”

Geylang will be looking to get back to winning ways too after two consecutive losses, as they look to leapfrog BG Tampines Rovers into second place. The Eagles are two points behind the Stags, who have a game in hand.

Geylang coach Noor Ali said: “It is normal in a season to have ups and down, especially when injuries kick in. What is important is that we limit the mistakes we make in matches. It’s time for us to show our character and bounce back.”

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