<p>Globe-trotting Japan star Keisuke Honda admitted to "mistakes and failures" as he pitched up in Azerbaijan's league, but refused to give up on playing at the Tokyo Olympics.</p>.<p>The 34-year-old midfielder, who spent three-and-a-half years at Italian giants AC Milan, signed for Azerbaijani outfit Neftci until the end of the season on Monday, having been without a club since leaving Brazil's Botafogo in December.</p>.<p>It is quite a change in fortunes for Honda, formerly a mainstay of the national team and the first Japanese player to score at three World Cups.</p>.<p>Honda, who has already played for clubs in seven different countries including Mexico, Australia and Russia, said he "didn't have any options" after a February move to Portugal fell through because of transfer regulations.</p>.<p>"I made a lot of mistakes and failures -- that's why I'm here," Honda, his trademark bleach-blond crop grown out into an unkempt mane, said at an online press conference from Baku.</p>.<p>"Everyone said to me: 'Why don't you go back to Japan to play?' (but) it's not interesting for me any more. I'm maybe a weird person, but that's me," he said, adding that he likes to "challenge new things".</p>.<p>But Honda, who retired from Japan's senior team in 2018, believes he can still force his way into the squad for this summer's coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics.</p>.<p>"Nothing is impossible, but it's not an easy situation for me," said the attacking midfielder, who hopes to be chosen as one of three over-age players in Japan's under-24 squad.</p>.<p>"I haven't been selected so far so I have to show the head coach of the national team I play good here. I have ambition to show I play good again here. I think it's possible."</p>.<p>And Honda also shrugged off suggestions that his role as general manager of Cambodia's national team, which he took up in 2018, will interfere with his playing career.</p>.<p>"I manage my time with the great people who work on the Cambodian national team project," he said.</p>.<p>"First, I can just spend a lot of time as a player, and second I spend time on the Cambodian project with great people... It's not difficult to manage the time."</p>.<p>Honda said playing for Neftci is his "priority for now", but refused to speculate on his plans beyond the Azerbaijan Premier League season, which ends in late May.</p>.<p>"I never felt that I would come to Azerbaijan when I started playing soccer," he said.</p>.<p>"I didn't expect when I started playing football that I would play in eight countries. But now, to be honest, I really want to play in more countries."</p>
<p>Globe-trotting Japan star Keisuke Honda admitted to "mistakes and failures" as he pitched up in Azerbaijan's league, but refused to give up on playing at the Tokyo Olympics.</p>.<p>The 34-year-old midfielder, who spent three-and-a-half years at Italian giants AC Milan, signed for Azerbaijani outfit Neftci until the end of the season on Monday, having been without a club since leaving Brazil's Botafogo in December.</p>.<p>It is quite a change in fortunes for Honda, formerly a mainstay of the national team and the first Japanese player to score at three World Cups.</p>.<p>Honda, who has already played for clubs in seven different countries including Mexico, Australia and Russia, said he "didn't have any options" after a February move to Portugal fell through because of transfer regulations.</p>.<p>"I made a lot of mistakes and failures -- that's why I'm here," Honda, his trademark bleach-blond crop grown out into an unkempt mane, said at an online press conference from Baku.</p>.<p>"Everyone said to me: 'Why don't you go back to Japan to play?' (but) it's not interesting for me any more. I'm maybe a weird person, but that's me," he said, adding that he likes to "challenge new things".</p>.<p>But Honda, who retired from Japan's senior team in 2018, believes he can still force his way into the squad for this summer's coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics.</p>.<p>"Nothing is impossible, but it's not an easy situation for me," said the attacking midfielder, who hopes to be chosen as one of three over-age players in Japan's under-24 squad.</p>.<p>"I haven't been selected so far so I have to show the head coach of the national team I play good here. I have ambition to show I play good again here. I think it's possible."</p>.<p>And Honda also shrugged off suggestions that his role as general manager of Cambodia's national team, which he took up in 2018, will interfere with his playing career.</p>.<p>"I manage my time with the great people who work on the Cambodian national team project," he said.</p>.<p>"First, I can just spend a lot of time as a player, and second I spend time on the Cambodian project with great people... It's not difficult to manage the time."</p>.<p>Honda said playing for Neftci is his "priority for now", but refused to speculate on his plans beyond the Azerbaijan Premier League season, which ends in late May.</p>.<p>"I never felt that I would come to Azerbaijan when I started playing soccer," he said.</p>.<p>"I didn't expect when I started playing football that I would play in eight countries. But now, to be honest, I really want to play in more countries."</p>