Tsuneyasu Miyamoto retires at 34
Vissel Kobe centre-back Tsuneyasu Miyamoto confirmed his retirement on Monday afternoon in Kobe, Japan, according to Goal.com.
The announcement concluded a 17-year career for the 34-year-old, the majority of which was spent at home-town club Gamba Osaka. Miyamoto made his professional debut for the side in 1995, eventually becoming a regular starter and gaining the attention of European teams.
Miyamoto made his first international appearance for Japan in 2000, the same year he earned the captain's armband for Gamba. He went on to make 71 international appearances.
Miyamoto will enroll in the 2012 Fifa Masters course, a ten-month post-graduate programme. The fluent English-speaker stated during Monday's announcement that he intends on earning a coaching license after completing the course in 2013.