The barnstorming success of Shinji Ono has pricked the ears of one of Japanese football's other big names, Naohiro Takahara, who wants a move to the A-League.

Takahara, 34, has just finished his most prolific season in years, recapturing his form with Tokyo Verdy and proving he is far from a spent force.

The A-League transfer window opens in January and, by then, Takahara - once idolised alongside Ono, Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura in Japan's golden generation of the mid-2000s - hopes to have secured a new home.

He boasts a worldly resumé´ that features stints with Boca Juniors, Hamburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Urawa Red Diamonds, Suwon Bluewings and Shimizu S-Pulse, where he was teammates with Ono.