Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda is back to playing in Europe after signing with a Portuguese club.

Honda, 34, announced on Monday that he had reached an agreement with Portimonense Sporting Clube (SC), a team that competes in  Primeira Liga. Primeira Liga is Portugal’s top football league.

“Portugal is the eight country I have played in. No matter how successful you are, the most important thing is to work hard,” the Japanese footballer posted on social media.

Honda’s contract with Portimonense SC covers six months, with an option to extend it for another year.

The announcement ended weeks of speculation on where Honda will play next.

The former Japan international, who is also general manager of the Cambodian national football team, just ended his tenure with the Brazilian team Botafogo FC. Honda left Brazil last month after less than a year with the Rio de Janeiro-based team.

While Brazilian fans welcomed him, Honda’s tenure with Botafogo FC did not pan out as expected, with the Japanese star only netting three goals in 27 appearances with the club. The situation was compounded by disagreements with the club’s top management over the abrupt firing of a newly-hired manager.

Honda also played for CSKA Moscow (Russia), Melbourne Victory (Australia), Vitesse Arnhem and VVV-Venlo (Netherlands), Pachuca (Mexico) and A.C. Milan (Italy). He is one of the very few professional footballers who scored on five continents.

Honda netted 37 goals in nearly 100 appearances with the Japanese national team from 2005 to 2018. He played for Japan in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

Last year, he was among the five nominees for ‘greatest Asian player in the World Cup’.

Honda is known for his accuracy, striking power from distance and dribbling skills. He is a versatile player who can seamlessly switch from one position to another.

Honda is heavily involved with Cambodian football. In addition to steering the national team through the World Cup qualifiers, Southeast Asian Games and other major competitions abroad, he also owns Soltilo Angkor FC, one of the teams that play in the Cambodian League.

Honda steered the Cambodian men’s football team to a fourth-place finish during the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines. It was the best finish for Cambodian football in the SEA Games in more than half a century.

• Tags: Keisuke Honda, Portimonense Sporting Clube