Fans' Player of the Year award at Celtic's own end of season awards ceremony. Due to Nakamura's form, transfer rumours again swirled during the summer window suggesting that Nakamura might exercise a release clause in his contract to join one of Europe's other elite clubs, including Liverpool; however, Nakamura reiterated his desire to remain at Celtic. 2007–08 season Nakamura featured little in the first part of Celtic's 2007–08 campaign due to a knee injury which was initially picked up in a Champions League qualifying match against Spartak Moscow in August 2007. Nakamura attempted to play through the injury, including coming on as an 85th-minute substitute in a Champions League group stage match against A.C. Milan and being involved in the buildup to Scott McDonald's injury time winner. However, Nakamura wound up repeatedly aggravating the injury, including in a match against Motherwell on 27 October, after which an MRI revealed nerve damage next to a knee ligament and Nakamura sat out for nearly three months. During this time, Celtic slipped from the top of the table into second place; teammate Artur Boruc called Nakamura's absence the "big difference" in Celtic's drop in form. Nakamura returned to play on 12 January, for Celtic's Scottish Cup match against Stirling Albion, in which he scored a goal. On 16 April, in a crucial Old Firm league game that Celtic had to win in order to prevent Glasgow rivals Rangers from winning the league title, Nakamura scored his first goal against Rangers, making him the first ever Japanese player to score in an Old Firm game. Typically, it was a fantastic goal, this time being a 30-yard volley. He later had a goal bound effort cleared off the line by a Carlos Cuéllar handball in the same match; although McDonald missed the ensuing penalty, Celtic eventually won the game 2–1. Celtic won the league title on the last day of the season, their third title in a row. 2008–09 season On 13 September, Nakamura played his 100th Scottish Premier League match in a 4–2 victory against Motherwell. On 28 February 2009, he scored a hat trick against St Mirren in a 7–0 win. Espanyol Media assumed that Nakamura would return to his hometown club Yokohama F. Marinos after his four-year contract with Celtic expired at the end of June 2009; however, negotiations broke down over contract terms. On 22 June, Nakamura instead agreed to a