Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder Alessandro Santos, known as Alex before winning a Japanese passport, has been called up for the Japan national team training camp slated for Jan. 21-25 for the first time, the Japan Football Association announced Friday.
Santos, who was granted Japanese citizenship last month, is among the 40-member provisional squad, which also includes JEF United Ichihara's young midfielder Yuki Abe, S-Pulse right wing Daisuke Ichikawa, Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara, his teammate and veteran defender Yutaka Akita.
The overseas-based players were not invited for the camp in Kagoshima, which is the first build-up session for next year's World Cup.