Singlish-capable former Japanese star Keisuke Honda to play for SPL's FC Jurong


PUBLISHED ONApril 10, 2026 5:27 AMBYSean LerIt's official — Japan and former AC Milan midfielder Keisuke Honda is joining Singapore Premier League Club FC Jurong next season.
The club, formerly known as Albirex Niigata Singapore, announced the signing in a statement on Friday (April 10) morning.
"This agreement goes beyond the signing of a single player; it aims to create new value for the club together and contribute to the further development of the Singapore football community as a whole," FC Jurong said.
Honda, who turns 40 in June, earned over 90 international caps playing for Japan between 2008 and 2018, scoring in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
His professional playing career has taken him to 10 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Russia.
Singapore will become the 11th professional league that he will be playing in.
Honda said in a statement: "As I turn 40 this year, I am pursuing several personal challenges, including a Guinness World Record for scoring in the most countries' top leagues.
"However, my primary goal with this club is to win the league title. There are a couple of very strong rivals, so it will be a tough challenge, but I am determined to achieve it."
It appears that this determination includes fitting into the local culture.
In November 2025, Honda posted pictures of himself training at Our Tampines Hub. Writing on Instagram, he demonstrated his Singlish literacy: "Tampines Hub quite chio siah."
In December, Honda doubled down on his Singlish literacy, captioning an Instagram post showing him training at Jurong East stadium with: "In training, it's okay to wayang."
He also looked fit in the photographs.
FC Jurong, which has won the Singapore Premier League six times, currently sit third in the league, behind Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers.
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