Daisuke Matsui

He is a Japanese football player. He plays as a midfielder.

Daisuke Matsui (born May 11, 1981 in Yamashina-ku, Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese footballer who plays for Le Mans UC72 in the French Ligue 1.
In 2000, Matsui graduated from Kagoshima Commercial High School and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League. In 2004, after four and a half seasons in Kyoto, Matsui moved to Le Mans UC 72 of Ligue 2 in France. Matsui chose Le Mans, then a second division club, over Lazio, one of the top clubs in Serie A, because he thought the style of Italian football was too defensive.
In Japan, Matsui had been criticized for his small physique and mental weakness, but he adapted to the fast, physical style of French football by changing his style and holding on to the ball less. That season, he helped earn Le Mans a runners-up finish and a promotion to Ligue 1. In 2005-06, Le Mans went undefeated in the first six matches of the season and finished the season at 11th place in its first season at Ligue 1.
Jean-Sébastien Grond of Football.fr has dubbed Matsui "the sun of Le Mans" (le soleil du Mans), while Le Mans supporters and the media consider him the top player for the club. In February 2006, he was voted the French Professional Players Association Player of the Month in France for the previous month.
Matsui made his national team debut on June 22, 2003 with Japan at Confederations Cup 2003 against Colombia and scored his international goal against Angola on October 11, 2005. He also played for the U-23 national team at the 2004 Olympics.
Despite his performance at Le Mans, Matsui was not part of Zico's selection for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Former Japan coach Philippe Troussier criticized the decision saying, "Matsui was selected as one of the best foreign players in France and didn't make it into the squad of 23 Zico selected, which is a pity given his form and experience."

Le Mans
11 May 1981
Source: Wikipedia