TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former Japan midfielder Junichi Inamoto, a scorer of two goals at the 2002 World Cup and the first player from the country to play and net in the English top flight with Fulham, announced his retirement Wednesday.

The 45-year-old played for Japan at three straight World Cups, starting with the 2002 tournament when he scored for the cohosts in a 2-2 opening draw with Belgium and then netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Russia, their first triumph at a World Cup.

The Gamba Osaka youth product made his professional debut in 1997 at 17 and six months, setting a since-eclipsed record as the youngest to play in the J-League, before joining Arsene Wenger's Arsenal on loan in the summer of 2001. He was limited to Champions League and League Cup appearances as the Gunners won the 2001-2002 Premiership title.

Inamoto joined Fulham on another loan from Gamba after the World Cup and his goal in September 2002 at home to Tottenham was the first scored by a Japanese in England's top division.

Inamoto joined West Bromwich on a permanent deal in 2004 and went on to play for Cardiff, Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt and Rennes before returning to Japan in 2010 with Kawasaki Frontale, with whom he stayed until 2014.

He made his last J1 appearance with Consadole Sapporo in 2018 and played for SC Sagamihara before joining Nankatsu SC in the Japanese fifth tier in 2022, a club headed by manga artist Yoichi Takahashi, known for his popular Captain Tsubasa series.

Inamoto scored five goals in 82 games for Japan.