Gordon Strachan says he will not stop talisman Shunsuke Nakamura leaving Celtic at the end of the season.
Strachan says striker can return home with no hard feelings
Gordon Strachan has given Shunsuke Nakamura his blessing to quit Celtic at the end of the season - but wants a Japanese holiday in return.
Midfielder Nakamura, 30, has expressed a desire to return to his homeland and raise his young family there after four trophy-laden years at Parkhead.
Strachan insists the Japan star - who struggles with the long journeys to and from international matches - has not approached him personally about a move.
But he will not stand in Nakamura's way should the player ask to return to his first senior club, Yokohama Marinos, this summer.
"Naka's never said he's going back," Strachan said.
"He hasn't mentioned his future plans. But if he said to me, 'I want to go home to play in Japan and show everybody what I've learnt playing at Celtic and overseas', we would just have to say, 'Thank you very much, it's been a great experience' - and hopefully get a holiday in Tokyo out of it."
The 30-year-old has been nursing knee and groin injuries over the last few weeks, but he has made himself available for Japan's World Cup qualifier against Australia in Yokohama on 11th February, four days before the next Old Firm derby.
"It would be better to have a week in Japan to prepare, but there's nothing I can do about it," Nakamura said
earlier this month.
"It's exhausting to think about all the games for Celtic coming up before that."
Nakamura, who has scored five goals in 16 Scottish Premier League starts this season, joined Celtic from Reggina in July 2005 for £2.5million.
