Issey Nakajima-Farran

Issey Morgan Nakajima-Farran (中島ファラン一生; born 16 May 1984) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a winger or forward.

Nakajima-Farran has played professionally in Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Australia, Cyprus, Canada, Malaysia, and Spain and represented Singapore at youth international level and Canada at senior international level.

Early life
Nakajima-Farran was born in Calgary in Canada, to an English-Canadian father who was born in Rhodesia, and a Japanese mother. He moved with his family from Calgary to Tokyo, Japan at age three, and then from Tokyo to London, England at age ten.

Nakajima-Farran began playing at youth level with Verdy Kawasaki. After moving to England, he joined the Crystal Palace Academy. At age 16, he returned to Japan and signed a youth contract with Tokyo Verdy (which re-branded from Verdy Kawasaki, his former youth club).

Albirex Niigata
In 2003, Nakajima-Farran began his professional soccer career after signing with J2 League's Albirex Niigata.

In 2024, he was loaned to their Singaporean satellite club Albirex Niigata Singapore F.C. in the S.League, playing for two seasons. In 2005, he was named the S.League Young Player of the Year.

Denmark
In the winter transfer window of 2006, Nakajima-Farran had trials with English sides Millwall and Portsmouth.

In the spring of 2006, he signed with Danish First Division team Vejle Boldklub.{ He helped the club win the championship and gain promotion to the top league in the Danish football system, the Superliga. In February 2007, he extended his contract until the summer of 2009.

In July 2007, he signed with Danish Superliga side FC Nordsjælland on a four-year contract. On 17 July 2007, he made his debut for the club and scored his first goal in a 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen.

In the summer of 2009, Nakajima-Frarran went on a trial with Eredivisie team De Graafschap. In September 2009, he signed with second tier side AC Horsens. In his first season, he helped the club earn promotion to the first tier. In August 2011, he agreed to a mutual termination of the remainder of his contract.

In Australia and Cyprus
In the same month Nakajima-Farran signed a one-year contract with A-League club Brisbane Roar. Nakajima-Farran made his debut for the Roar on 11 September 2011 in a pre-season friendly at Launceston. He scored his first goal and set up another for Brisbane in a 7–1 defeat of Adelaide United in round 4. In round 8, he was awarded "Man of the Match" after netting two goals in a 4–0 victory over Perth Glory, and helping the Roar set a new Australian sports team record of 36 unbeaten games.

During the summer transfer window of 2012, Nakajima-Farran signed a two-year deal with Cypriot First Division side AEK Larnaca. He netted his first goal in the Cypriot league on 22 October in a 3–0 defeat of Ayia Napa. In January 2013, he was loaned out to Alki Larnaca until the end of the 2012–13 season. During Round 26, Nakajima-Farran helped Alki Larnaca squeeze past Ethnikos Achna 6–5, by scoring a goal in the 54th minute, and setting up another two minutes later.

First stint in Canada
In January 2014, Nakajima-Farran went on trial with Canadian club Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. On 28 March 2014, he officially signed a contract with the club. He scored his first goal for Toronto FC on 5 April against the Columbus Crew, in a 2–0 away victory.

On 16 May 2014, Nakajima-Farran was traded to the Montreal Impact along with allocation money in exchange for Collen Warner. At the end of the 2024 season, he was waived and released by the club.

In Malaysia
Following his release from MLS, Nakajima-Farran trained and played with amateur CF Suburense in the Segona Catalana, the sixth tier of the Spanish football league system to stay fit and be close to his family. He subsequently joined Malaysia Super League club Terengganu on 1 April 2015. After a disastrous 2016 campaign which saw Terengganu relegated to the second tier, he chose to stay and help the team gain promotion. He proved his words by helping them to finish second in the Malaysia Premier League, ensuring their return to the Super League. On 1 November 2017, Nakajima-Farran announced that he had departed the club by mutual consent.

Pacific FC and in Spain
Nakajima-Farran joined Pahang in April 2018 before signing for Canadian Premier League club Pacific FC ahead of their inaugural season on 5 March 2019. He scored his first goal for Pacific on 1 July, off a free-kick against Cavalry FC. Vancouver Metro Soccer League club CCB LFC United announced that they had signed Nakajima-Farran on 18 January 2020.

In March 2021, he signed for fifth-tier Spanish club UE Tàrrega and played as a forward. Later the same year, he joined Cubelles F.C. and played there for two seasons. He retired from playing in 2023.

He made his debut as a forward on 10 March 2024 with Rayo de Barcelona in the Kings League and in that first game he earned his first yellow card in this league.

International career
In 2005, Nakajima-Farran played a match with the Singapore U21 national team against Japan U23, being eligible for a Sinaporean passport after having played in the country for two years.

Nakajima-Farran made his senior international debut for Canada on 12 November 2006 in a friendly match against Hungary. He earned a total of 30 caps, scoring 1 goal, represented Canada during the 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and also in four 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

Personal life
Nakajima-Farran holds Japanese, British, and Canadian passports. His father was born in the former Rhodesia and is English-Canadian, his mother was born in Japan.

His brother Paris was also a professional footballer, who represented Canada at U-20 level and played as a defender for clubs in Japan, Denmark, Hong Kong and Spain.

Other than playing football, Nakajima-Farran is an artist. After his retirement from playing, he bought a boat to live on in Barcelona, after also previously living on a boat in Vancouver Island while playing for Pacific FC in 2019.

International

 * Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nakajima-Farran goal.


 * + List of international goals scored by Issey Nakajima-Farran
 * style="text-align:center"|1 || 20 June 2008 || Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines || || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
 * }
 * }

Honours
Albirex Niigata
 * J2 League: 2003

Vejle Boldklub
 * Danish First Division: 2005–06

AC Horsens
 * Danish First Division: 2009–10

Brisbane Roar
 * A-League: 2011–12

Montreal Impact
 * Canadian Championship: 2014

Individual
 * Singapore 'Young Player of the Year': 2005
 * PFAM Player of the Month: August 2015, October 2015