Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Shinji Okazaki has become the second Japanese international to claim an English Premier League winner’s medal after Leicester City were guaranteed the 2015/16 title on Monday following Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with closest challengers Tottenham Hotspur.
Okazaki and his team-mates - which includes former Australia international keeper Mark Schwarzer - could have secured the title on Saturday with a victory over Manchester United but a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford put celebrations on hold for the Thailand-backed East Midlands club.
However, Leicester City fans didn’t have to wait long for their historic triumph as Spurs failed to pick up the three points they needed against last season’s champions Chelsea ensuring the Foxes would be crowned English champions for the first time in their 132-year history
Needing nothing less than a victory to keep in the title hunt, Spurs were in the driving seat at the half-time interval with goals from Harry Kane and Korea Republic international Son Heung-min putting them two up at the break.
But second-half goals from Gary Cahill and substitute Eden Hazard saw the game at Stamford Bridge end 2-2, leaving Spurs seven points behind Leicester with two matches left to play.
Leicester’s success sees Okazaki become the second Japanese international to claim an EPL winner’s middle following Shinji Kagawa, whose contribution to Manchester United’s 2012/13 title triumph with Manchester United helped the Borussia Dortmund attacker claim the inaugural AFC Asian International Player of the year award in 2012.
Like Kagawa, Okazaki made the move to the English Premier League from German football, joining Leicester in June last year from FSV Mainz 05, where he scored 27 times in 65 appearances to become the Bundesliga’s all-time leading Japanese scorer
Debuting against Sunderland as Leicester opened their campaign with a 4-2 win over Sunderland, Okazaki scored the first of his six goals for the Foxes the following week in a 2-1 victory over West Ham United, while has spectacular overhead winner against Newcastle United in March saw Leicester open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, veteran keeper Schwarzer, who has yet to appear in this season’s EPL with 43-year-old former Socceroos shot-stopper serving as back up to first choice Kasper Schmeichel, is celebrating a title-win for the second successive season having been part of the Chelsea squad that won the 2014/15 championship.
But the player that has made the biggest impact in the English Premier League is unquestionably Park Ji-sung, the Korea Republic legend who has won four EPL winner’s medals during a phenomenally successful spell with Manchester United.
Photo: AFP