Nakata Wins Over Management And Players

Last updated : 26 October 2005 By Matt Bottom
Hidetoshi Nakata is delighted with his form at Bolton Wanderers after the on-loan midfielder scored his first goal for the club in the defeat of West Brom on Sunday.

"If I enjoy playing, I can play well and I am enjoying it at the moment," he said.

"I am adapting slowly to the pace of the Premiership - to be honest I did not know what to expect. But I do not see the need to rush.

"We have so many chances of playing as there are so many games.

"The team is doing well. We have lost matches we could have won."

Nakata has spent the past seven years in Italy and has also worn the colours of Perugia, Roma and Parma but insists he is driven by new experiences.

"There were no longer any surprises there," he said in an interview in the Bolton matchday programme. "To keep fresh and help you grow up as a person you need something new.

"It may turn out to be bad and sometimes you hurt. But anything is good if you can learn from it, even pain.

"That is why I continually need to give myself new challenges. It makes me peak as a person and a player."

Sam Allardyce spoke of his summer signing: "He was determined to play in the Premiership and because he has been in Europe for so long the adjustment is easier for him than others.

"He has done a massive job in Italy the past six or seven years and I hope he can do the same for us."

Kevin Nolan also only had good things to say about his team mate, "He's a fantastic lad, a great professional and he's been fantastic for us," he said.

"He's a model professional and people can learn from him, especially me. He's someone you can look up to.

"He must have had a big culture shock because it's so much different here than in Italy, but he's been fantastic. I'm just pleased he got off the mark with his goal.

"He's got great ability and hopefully he can do that for us on a regular basis.

"The lad's so fit, it's unbelievable. In fact we've got a lot of fit lads here and we're starting to show that."