NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Departing Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Mitch Langerak on Saturday labeled his team's League Cup final win over Albirex Niigata the "perfect ending" after making a succession of saves and scoring in the penalty shootout to help land the silverware for the second time.

The 36-year-old Australian took over as team captain this season and believes he is leaving a deserved parting gift for the Nagoya faithful before his return home next year for family reasons.

"This was the perfect way to end. It's something I've thought about for a couple of months with us out of the Emperor's Cup and (the) J-League (title race) becoming difficult," the man of the match said after the final at Tokyo's National Stadium, where many Australian flags fluttered in the Nagoya end.

"If we could deliver like today, this would be the perfect ending and perfect way to say thank you to the fans, so I'm really honestly so relieved...(The lead-up) did make me feel uncomfortable because it's not about me and because I'm leaving. It's about everybody who helped us and within the club."

The 2021 League Cup had been his only title in seven years with the club, but Langerak enjoyed the latest victory more, coming in front of a packed house versus the less than 18,000 in attendance at Saitama Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic for a 2-1 win over Cerezo Osaka.

Langerak, who won the German Bundesliga title in 2011 and a league and German Cup double the following year at Borussia Dortmund alongside Shinji Kagawa and under Jurgen Klopp, said the atmosphere at the Tokyo Olympic venue "was another level."

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu and J-League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura both lauded the quality and excitement of the contest played in front of two of the most loyal fan bases in the country, which finished 3-3 at the end of extra time before Nagoya won 5-4 on penalties.

"I've played in some big atmospheres before, and this was up there, right at the top. Definitely, today was special, and (also with) the way the game played out...it was a little bit more special," Langerak said.

Langerak again showed his knack for finding the net from the penalty spot, having also scored in the quarterfinal shootout against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, joking "There are harder things for me to do in a game than taking penalties."

Having made the most appearances for the club as an overseas player at 231, surpassing Grampus and Yugoslavia legend Dragan Stojkovic, who, as manager, brought Nagoya their first J-League title in 2010, Langerak's name is already etched in the history of the club, whom he promised to support even after returning home.

"I'll be a Grampus No. 1 supporter. I'll be watching from afar. I want the club to take the next step and be regularly competing for the titles. We're a big club," he said.