After more than a decade in Europe, Shinji Kagawa is returning to his homeland. He is moving to the club from which he once joined Borussia Dortmund.

Former Dortmund champion Shinji Kagawa (33) is returning to his native Japan after twelve and a half years in Europe. The midfielder, who won the Bundesliga title with BVB in 2011 and 2012, is moving to Cerezo Osaka, where his professional career once began. Kagawa moved from there to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2010.

Under coach Jürgen Klopp, Kagawa played his way into the sights of Alex Ferguson, who brought him to Manchester United in 2012. Kagawa also won the title in his first year in the Premier League, but made less appearances under Ferguson’s successor David Moyes and returned to BVB. He played a total of 148 Bundesliga games (41 goals).

After his second departure from Dortmund in 2019, Kagawa toured Europe and signed for Besiktas Istanbul, Real Zaragoza, PAOK Saloniki and most recently VV St. Truiden in Belgium. Kagawa played 97 times (31 goals) for the Japanese national team and took part in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. In Germany, he won the DFB Cup twice (2012/2017) with BVB in addition to the league titles. (with RS)