Keisuke Honda should seriously consider leaving AC Milan or risk losing his place on the Japan squad, according to national coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
"I need Honda to play more on a regular basis," Halilhodzic said in an end-of-year interview with members of the Tokyo Sportswriters' Club. "The national team needs Honda. He is our best goalscorer and best passer.
"But if he doesn't play enough, I think the message I have sent is clear. I've explained to Honda that if he wants to keep playing for the national team, he has to play more.