Newly retired as a soccer player, former Canadian international Issey Nakajima-Farran is working on his future aboard a boat in Barcelona. It含羞草研究社檚 his floating home.
Football has already taken the 39-year-old Nakajima-Farran around the globe. The former Toronto FC, CF Montreal and Pacific FC midfielder has played club football in Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Spain as well as North America.
Now he plans his next step.
An accomplished artist and video enthusiast, Nakajima-Farran was not your ordinary soccer player. While talented on the pitch, he made sure to experience what was happening off it as well.
And he has always been on the move.
Born in Calgary to a Japanese mother and a British-Canadian father (who was born in then-Rhodesia), Nakajima-Farran moved to Tokyo when he was three and London when he was 10. He spent his teenage years in the British capital, playing in the Crystal Palace youth system before heading to Japan to begin his pro soccer career.
Post-pandemic, he finished his career with UE Tarrega and then CF Cubelles in Spain含羞草研究社檚 sixth division. Cubelles is about 40 minutes from Barcelona and the next town over from where his 10-year-old son Hugo lives with his mother.
含羞草研究社淥ne of the things on my bucket list was to score in front of him 含羞草研究社� I finally did it,含羞草研究社� said Nakajima-Farran, who retired soon after.
He had a chance to play in India and Indonesia but opted to stay in Spain close to his son, who was born in Cyprus while Nakajima-Farran was playing there.
And he figured he had done well by football, extending his career well into his 30s.
含羞草研究社淭hey say after 30, every year is a bonus to enjoy (in) football,含羞草研究社� he said.
Nakajima-Farran plans to remain in the sport. He is still vice-president of the Professional Footballers Association Canada (PFACan) and has opened up a player agency called Sideline GM with David Simpson, another retired player, and several others to help ease the path of other Canadian players abroad.
含羞草研究社淏eing a foreign player is a very different ballgame than being a local player,含羞草研究社� Nakajima-Farran said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e always thought that.含羞草研究社�
It comes with pressure. Nakajima-Farran learned that in Malaysia while playing for Sri Pahang FC, which at the time was owned by the royal family.
Still, he has fond memories of his time in Malaysia, where he also played for Terengganu FC. It含羞草研究社檚 where he met his girlfriend Aieva (pronounced eye-var), a graphic artist who is half-Thai and half-Malaysian
He didn含羞草研究社檛 make his goal of playing Champions League football in Europe but did play in the UEFA Cup (now Europa League).
含羞草研究社淢y second goal was always to travel the world and experience the language of football,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 have no regrets.含羞草研究社�
Nakajima-Farran won 38 caps for Canada between 2006 and 2016, seeing the world in the process.
He started painting at 12 or 13 when he broke his ankle. His father 含羞草研究社� who studied theatre, started a lunch box theatre in central London and ran his own restaurant 含羞草研究社� put a paintbrush and canvas in front of him and said 含羞草研究社淥K, let含羞草研究社檚 do something else.含羞草研究社�
First painting was a way to decorate his apartment. Then it expanded to galleries, cafes and charity events.
He did a painting of Marco di Vaio for the Italian star含羞草研究社檚 last game with Montreal. His portraits have ranged from Marlon Brando to the Joker.
Nakajima-Farran bought a vintage 15-metre wooden boat 含羞草研究社� named Heather含羞草研究社檚 Song, after the previous owner含羞草研究社檚 wife 含羞草研究社� to live on during his time on Vancouver Island in 2019 with the CPL含羞草研究社檚 Pacific FC. His current boat is an 18-metre fibreglass cruiser, from circa 1988, named Morgan 含羞草研究社� which is his middle name and means 含羞草研究社渟ea dweller含羞草研究社� in Welsh.
He initially wanted a flat with an ocean view. But Barcelona prices were so exorbitant he decided to do 含羞草研究社渟omething epic含羞草研究社� and buy an older boat to renovate.
Judging from video of his floating home, it worked out well.
He is selective when he takes it out to sea. 含羞草研究社淭his boat is about $200 per hour when I turn on the engine,含羞草研究社� he explained.
His memories of playing in MLS are mixed.
He joined TFC in 2014, but his stay in Toronto lasted less than two months. Nakajima-Farran, who was waiting for his car, art and furniture to be shipped from Spain, never really got to settle in Toronto.
含羞草研究社淚 only had a dining table and a TV and a mattress,含羞草研究社� he recalled.
Nakajima-Farran had success on the field, scoring the winning penalty in a shootout victory over the Whitecaps in Vancouver in the 2014 Canadian Championship semifinal.
A few days later, he was planning to celebrate his 30th birthday, with family flying in to join teammates at a local hotel for the party. But before the festivities, he was called into the team office and told he had been traded and had to leave for Montreal the next day.
含羞草研究社淏irthday surprise!! Wow! Just like that. It含羞草研究社檚 not right. Surreal. MLSsoccer. Inhumane,含羞草研究社� Nakajima-Farran tweeted at the time.
Not used to trades, he initially refused the move, although he eventually relented.
含羞草研究社淚 had my party. But it was more like a goodbye party,含羞草研究社� he said.
Toronto shipped him, along with allocation money, to Montreal in exchange for midfielder Collen Warner. TFC wanted Warner to deputize for captain Michael Bradley while he was away with the U.S. national team.
含羞草研究社淚 always envied the guys who were the local players, playing in their own country,含羞草研究社� Nakajima-Farran said. 含羞草研究社淚 always envied it until I got to taste it myself. I realized that 含羞草研究社楾his is not me. I含羞草研究社檓 better off being a foreigner.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t was always nice being part of the national team where I felt like it was my home. But not playing in Canada, unfortunately.含羞草研究社�
Nakajima-Farran ended up in Malaysia after being waived by Montreal in January 2015. He enjoyed the full stadiums and fervent football fans there.
含羞草研究社淣o matter whether you win or lose, they wear your jersey. And I love that pressure,含羞草研究社� he said.
He started his soccer career with Albirex Nigata of Japan含羞草研究社檚 J-League in 2003 before joining Albirex Singapore where he was named young player of the season. Then it was on to Denmark with Vejle Boldklub, FC Nordsjaelland and AC Horsens.
Nakajima-Farran went Down Under in 2011 to join the Brisbane Roar. After one season in Australia, he joined AEK Larnaca FC in Cyprus, also spending time on loan with Alki Larnaca FC before coming to MLS.
A favourite memory was starting for Canada against Brazil, then ranked No. 2 in the world, in Seattle in May 2008 before 47,052 at Qwest Field.
Nakajima-Farran almost scored in the 3-2 loss, just missing with a chip over goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who later become a teammate at TFC.
Former Canada coach Stephen Hart recalled that goal, on a recent visit to Barcelona when he caught up Nakajima-Farran. If he had scored against Brazil, Hart suggested, his life would have been different.
含羞草研究社淚 think that含羞草研究社檚 the only thing I regret 含羞草研究社� I love the moves that I made, I loved the options that I had at those (career) crossroads,含羞草研究社� Nakajima-Farran said.
含羞草研究社淏ut the one thing I do regret is that chance. That I didn含羞草研究社檛 tuck it away over Julio Cesar.含羞草研究社�
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
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