One Arsene Wenger Highbury era player is still playing professional football, he’s now 44-years old

Lucas Arnold

After Alex Song’s recent retirement, Junichi Inamoto is now the only former Arsenal player still playing from the Arsene Wenger Highbury era.

Junichi Inamoto, who signed for Arsenal from Gamba Osaka in 2001, did only play for the club on four occasions.

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But at 44-years-old, the former Japan international is still playing in his home country.

Inamoto is now playing for Nankatsu SC who are listed to be playing in the fifth tier of Japanese football.

After his spell at Arsenal, Inamoto did go on to have spells with several other British clubs including Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City.

Inamoto last played for France’s Stade Rennais in Europe, before heading back to Japan in 2010.

Junichi Inamoto became the first Japanese player to play for Arsenal

Inamoto was the first of four Japanese players to play for Arsenal to date.

Ryo Miyaichi was followed by Takuma Asano to the Emirates, and of course Takehiro Tomiyasu is now playing under Mikel Arteta today.

Miyaichi, a winger who signed for Arsenal in 2011, is now playing his football for Yokohama F. Marinos at the age of 30.

And Asano who signed five years later, is now playing for VfL Bochum in Germany at 29-years-old.

Junichi Inamoto’s Arsenal debut

Like a lot of Arsenal youngsters, Inamoto made his full Arsenal debut in the Carling Cup – as it was called at the time.

Inamoto played 84 minutes in a 2-0 win over Grimsby Town at Highbury.

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However, Inamoto only lasted 45 minutes in the following round in a 4-0 away defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

That being said, Inamoto’s first Arsenal minutes did come as a substitute in the Champions League.

The Japan international played 14 minutes in a 3-2 home win against FC Schalke – a game in which Thierry Henry scored twice and Freddie Ljungberg scored the opener.

Arsene Wenger’s verdict on Junichi Inamoto’s Arsenal career

Arsene Wenger, the man to bring Inamoto to England, believed in the midfielder’s qualities, but felt he lacked belief as well as some physical attributes whilst at the club.

Speaking to Arsenal back in 2013, Wenger said: “He missed something.

“He had the basic quality but he missed something in the physical aspect, stamina, to be a box-to-box, up-and-down midfielder in the Premier League.

“Also at that time he lacked a little bit of belief in his qualities, because he was a very good footballer, Inamoto, but he was still in a period when the Japanese players didn’t feel they were at the level of the rest of the world.”

It is worth noting that Justin Hoyte, also of the Arsene Wenger Highbury era, hasn’t officially retired yet, but is now a free agent.