Robert Cullen.

**osarusan** · 13/11/2007, 3:16 PM

Anybody heard of this guy?

He's doing reasonably well over here. The bio says he has taken Japanese citizenship, but it's not too late yet, I'm pretty sure he hasn't played a senior game.

**Graemerz** · 13/11/2007, 3:28 PM

Never heard of him. Very strange.

**Steve Bruce** · 13/11/2007, 10:32 PM

Fair play to him to want to play the country he is from rather than a country that would be more recognisable on a football front and would possibly open doors to bigger things

**Steve Bruce** · 13/11/2007, 10:47 PM

Oh and I wasn't having a digg at ROI taking NI players if that's the way it came across.

**osarusan** · 14/11/2007, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

Fair play to him to want to play the country he is from rather than a country that would be more recognisable on a football front and would possibly open doors to bigger things

To be honest I wouldn't be too sure of the second part of that statement. If he becomes a regular for Japan, he's pretty much guaranteed appearances in 2 or 3 World Cups. That just isn't the case with NI or and other club in the British Isles except England.

**EalingGreen** · 14/11/2007, 10:01 AM

There was a thread about him on OWC from three years ago.

Apparently his Da is from Belfast and he even played in NI at the Milk Cup (International Youth Tournament) with a Japanese side.

But his Ma is Japanese, he was born and brought up in Japan and hardly speaks any English. In addition, he has represented Japan at under-age level (e.g. Japanese U-19 team in the AFC Cup in 2004) etc, so there doesn't look to be any sign of his opting for NI (never mind ROI

).

Anyhow, some more info from that OWC thread:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89523