SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA has already started the grind of pre-season training - less than a month after the curtain came down on the Scottish season.
Celtic's Player of the Year ended his double-winning campaign with the Scottish Cup Final on May 26.
Since then he's helped Japan earn a 0-0 draw with Colombia in Saitama which saw them win the Kirin Cup. Now the midfielder is back in training for the Asian Cup, which kicks off for Japan against Qatar in Hanoi in less than three weeks.
Nakamura was slated by the Japanese media for what was a poor display against Colombia - and he took it to heart. He said: "I took a week off before starting self-training. I want to join the squad in fine shape and be 100 per cent fit."
Japan will be bidding for a third successive Asian Cup title in this year's tournament, which takes place from July 7-29.
After it, Naka is expecting to be allowed just one week off before reporting for duty at Parkhead. The final is six days before the scheduled start of the new Clydesdale Bank Premier League on August 4.
But Naka is not worried that so many games will sap his energy for the start of the new season.
"Gordon Strachan knows the situation," said the Japanese who played in 50 of Celtic's 52 games this season.
"Before this season I had the World Cup and there were times when I would have two or three days off when everyone else was training. I will be ready for the Champions League qualifiers in August, no problem."
Scott McDonald, axed from Australia's Asian Cup team, will be in the Celtic squad that takes on FC Basel and Young Boys of Berne in the Uhren Cup in the Swiss city of Grenchen from July 3 to 6.
Then they are off to the US from July 10-20, and a Colorado training camp which will include a game against the MLS All-Stars - David Beckham et al.
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