Former J League soccer player Issei Yoshimi (27) has finally been given his chance as a singer. Next month, he will release his first single, titled "~YOU~."

Yoshimi was a top soccer player during his student days, and after graduation in 2001 he began playing for his local Montedio Yamagata team. Expectations for him were high, but a severe injury forced him to retire at the end of 2003.

As a music lover, Yoshimi decided to try turning it into a career. He moved from Yamagata to Tokyo and formed a group, and for three years they did street performances almost every day. With his looks and his voice, he eventually came to the attention of Universal Music, which offered him a contract.

Yoshimi's first release is the love song "~YOU~," which he wrote himself. The single will go on sale on September 2. Three days later, on September 5, he will give the first public performance of the song in front of 20,000 people at the Tokyo Girls Collection, one of Japan's biggest fashion shows.