Ex-Japan footballer Keisuke Honda, 39, to play in S'pore Premier League

Keisuke Honda, a former Japan international footballer and AC Milan midfielder, will play in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) next season.

Albirex Niigata Singapore, which will be known as FC Jurong from the 2026/2027 SPL season, said in an Apr. 10 press release that Honda will join the club in August 2026.

Honda turns 40 in June.

He has 38 goals in 98 appearances for Japan, including at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

Honda started out with Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight.

He then played for VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands and CSKA Moscow in Russia.

He was also at AC Milan in the Serie A for about three years, before playing for clubs in Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Bhutan.

He also had a coaching stint with Cambodia's national team from 2018 to 2023.

Honda said in a statement: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to play for FC Jurong."

“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," he added.

“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.”

Background

Albirex Niigata has won the Singapore domestic league six times.

They are third in the SPL now.

Albirex Niigata's name change to FC Jurong is a change from its previous plan announced in late 2025 to be called Albirex Jurong FC.

Club chairman Daisuke Korenaga said: “Through extensive discussions with our stakeholders, we have come to the conclusion that the club must put down deeper roots in this region and pursue a greater level of localisation. The name change is one important expression of that commitment.”

He added: “A club's name is more than just a label - it is a statement of where we stand, who we walk alongside, and which community we are building our future with. The name FC Jurong carries our heartfelt desire to grow with this town, to be needed by this town, and to be a club this town is proud to call its own.”

Top photos via Keisuke Honda Instagram