SHOULDERS stooped, eyes down, Shunsuke Nakamura did not look up as he left the pitch. The Japanese playmaker trudged off the Celtic Park turf a month ago dejected and forlorn.

Quiet assassin moves on as search to fill boots begins

SHOULDERS stooped, eyes down, Shunsuke Nakamura did not look up as he left the pitch. The Japanese playmaker trudged off the Celtic Park turf a month ago dejected and forlorn.

He did not shake hands with anyone and nor did he indulge in any exchanges with a support that have applauded his every move for the past four seasons.

Nakamura's low-key exit was fitting. Throughout his time at the club, he cut a modest figure, plying his trade with diligence and a professionalism with which the Scottish game is not renowned.

That Nakamura's relationship with Celtic is over is not a great surprise. The midfielder, after all, was tipped for a return to his homeland in January only for a deal to fall through because of the effect the current economic crisis had on Yokohama Marinos and their sponsors, Nissan.

The surprise for Celtic will be that Nakamura has opted to remain in Europe. The switch home for the sake of his family has been sacrificed in order that he can fulfil a career-long ambition to play in La Liga and that may irk the Hoops board who would have loved to have kept him at the club.

They felt powerless to prevent him returning home but the news that he has been persuaded to end his career at the top level with a final swansong in La Liga will have stung Celtic.

It is impossible to know whether or not the decision of Gordon Strachan to leave the club will have swayed Nakamura's decision to head to Spain, but certainly the duo enjoyed a relationship that was about more than just simple respect.

Nakamura was easily the best signing Strachan made for Celtic, and the former Hoops manager on more than one occasion was moved to describe the player as a genius'.

"He's never late, never missed training, never created a newspaper headline," Strachan said last season when quizzed on Naka's future. "He's a bit like Paul Scholes, in terms of how he gets on with his job, goes home to his family and then comes back. Whatever he does, I'll respect that."

The problem for Celtic - and in some sense the SPL as a whole - is now is replacing Nakamura. In a league in which there are few people of international renown, Naka not only gave Celtic a creative edge they will struggle to find without spending significant funds, but he also helped raise the profile of both the club and the SPL.

Celtic's games were beamed back to Japan with Nakamura's fans in his homeland buying replica shirts as they watched games, and tapping into that market was a significant financial aid for the Parkhead club. How to replace that aspect of Nakamura is chief executive Peter Lawwell's homework for the summer. But for new boss Tony Mowbray the issue is to find another creative fulcrum for Celtic.

Arguably it is a problem that has never been truly addressed since Lubomir Moravcik left the club. He and Nakamura were very different players, but both were consistent in that they always topped the assist charts and were also reliable when it came to chipping in a few goals.

Aiden McGeady may fancy that he is ready to shoulder the responsibility of being Celtic's main creative outlet, and Mowbray may decide to give the Republic of Ireland internationalist the more central role that he has made no secret of coveting.

Shaun Maloney, too, can offer an energy and drive when he is on his game but consistency is the main hindrance so far to both players.

Mowbray may feel that a player with more experience and the ability to turn a game is what is required, but his problem will be that such players are weighed down by a heavy price tag.

There is much more still to come from Scott Brown at Celtic and Mowbray may just be the right man to coax the best out of him as he did when the player was at Hibs, but there remains a zest that has been lacking in Celtic's midfielder of late.

In truth, Nakamura was not at his best for the Parkhead side this season as he played through a knee problem, but nevertheless his deadly set-pieces were always a danger in themselves even if the player had been relatively anonymous in a game.

Replacing him is a big job, but something that Celtic at least have been prepared for. And Moravcik, who will always be revered as one of the club's most successful signings, believes that scouring the market for another creative outlet will be a priority this summer.

"It is always important to have players like Shaun and Aiden who have been brought through the club," said Moravcik. "They know what it is all about and they pass that on to players who come in.

"Aiden was too young for me to have really have known when I was at the club, but I had a lot of respect for Shaun. He had fast feet, good technique and was always practicing. I always felt that he would be a big player for Celtic.

"I think he has had a hard time with injuries this season, but he can be important to the new manager if he gets a good pre-season under his belt.

"But I am sure that Celtic will still want to find a player who can inspire the team.

"It is always important to have players who can see things that other players cannot. That is a big talent, but so is the ability to do that then make the pass that leads to a goal or find the opening that makes space for someone else.

"The problem is that these players can cost a lot of money."

And therein lies the rub.

Star was big in Japan

SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA'S image rights were a major financial aid to Celtic.

The actual figure that Naka's rights generated is unclear, but it is believed the player was paid around £2m a year for them by Celtic, suggesting the value was significantly higher.

However, it is not just Celtic who will be hit in the pocket with the player's decision to head to Espanyol.

International broadcaster TWI had the rights to beam all of Celtic's games to Japan, but the money generated was not given to the Parkhead club exclusively.

Instead, it went into a pot and was divided between all 12 SPL teams who benefited from Nakamura's four-year sojourn in Glasgow.

Added to that, shirt sales and merchandise sold in the player's homeland also helped Celtic's finances.