He retired “mentally” at 22 while with Portuguese minnows Real Massama but continued a journeyman career in China, Angola, Lithuania, Qatar, Malta and Brazil, simply to fund his lavish lifestyle.

– So, you started your career in Lithuania. Can you tell us about that period?

– That’s right, I took my first steps in professional football there. Before that, I competed in the Japanese regional division. I wanted to try myself in another part of the world. Therefore, I made a video clip of my games and sent it to several agents, one of whom invited me to try out for the Lithuanian Premier League team. That’s how I got my first contract at Utenis.

– Your career is truly international. You managed to play in Eastern Europe, performed in the Faroe Islands, and later spent several years in Indonesia. What attracted you while performing in these exotic countries?

– In the Lithuanian Premier League, football was based on physical data. All my opponents were bigger than me. I had to adapt and figure out how to bring more benefit to the team. In Estonia they play for ball control. Lithuania and Estonia are Baltic countries, but they preach completely different styles of football.

In the Faroe Islands, vertical football is played, mainly on artificial pitches. The weather conditions were not the best. There was a storm absolutely every day. These were the most difficult seasons of my life, which ultimately made me stronger.

In Indonesia, teams play athletic football, where players are very mobile and run long distances in a match. After a career in Europe, I was physically stronger than my opponents in Indonesia. This country loves football. More than 20,000 fans consistently come to the stadium every game. Over the course of several seasons, I fell in love with the country and learned the language.