Ao Tanaka (田中碧, Tanaka Ao, born 10 September 1998) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for EFL Championship club Leeds United and the Japan national team.
_(cropped).jpg) Tanaka in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ao Tanaka[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 September 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Leeds United | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2006 | Saginuma SC | ||
| 2007–2016 | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2022 | Kawasaki Frontale | 79 | (8) |
| 2021–2022 | → Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 29 | (1) |
| 2022−2024 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 55 | (8) |
| 2024– | Leeds United | 17 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2021 | Japan U23 | 18 | (2) |
| 2019– | Japan | 29 | (8) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:07, 13 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024 | |||
Club career
editKawasaki Frontale
editRaised for a decade in the youth ranks of hometown club Kawasaki Frontale, Tanaka made his J1 League debut in September 2018 against Consadole Sapporo, scoring his first professional goal just six minutes after he was subbed on.[3] As injuries struck the midfield options of Kawasaki Frontale during the 2019 season, he earned more starts with his club, participating in 24 J1 League matches throughout the season, accumulating 31 matches in total during the year, across 5 different competitions. As his performances continuously caught the eyes of many, and his manager's approval, he was then awarded the 2019 J.League Rookie of the Year Award in his first full professional season. With this feat, he is the only Kawasaki Frontale player ever to win this award.[4]
Fortuna Düsseldorf
editOn 26 June 2021, after two and a half professional seasons with Kawasaki Frontale, he joined German 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf on a year-long loan with an option to buy.[5]
On 28 April 2022, Fortuna Düsseldorf, satisfied with his club and national team performances, exercised the buy-out option in his club contract to acquire him, paying his release clause to get him officially signed for the club on 28 April 2022. He signed a three-year contract with the expiration date being 30 June 2025, encouraged by a sequence of game time with their first-team in the 2021–22 2. Bundesliga.[6]
Leeds United
editOn 30 August 2024, Tanaka signed for EFL Championship club Leeds United on a four-year deal.[7] By November 2024 he had become a key player for the team, being described as "undroppable".[8]
International career
editTanaka made his debut for the Japan national football team on 14 December 2019, in a 5–0 win against Hong Kong in the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.[9] In the summer of 2021, he was named in the 22-man squad for the 2020 Olympic Games alongside 2 Kawasaki Frontale ex-teammates, Kaoru Mitoma, and Reo Hatate. He started every match for Japan during the tournament.
Throughout the 2020 season, Tanaka established for a good reputation among the Kawasaki Frontale players, playing a total of more than 2500 minutes across all competitions, being a starter in most of the matches he played. His performances with the Kawasaki Frontale team also helped him earn caps with the Japan under-23 team, including a two-goal performance that helped the Japan under-23s earn a 3–2 win over the Brazil under-23 team in a friendly match at 14 October 2019.[10]
He played his first match in the AFC qualification tournament for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 12 October 2021, where he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 home win against Australia.[11][12] On 1 November 2022, Tanaka was included in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[13] On 1 December, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Spain, which qualified his national team to the knockout stage as top of their group.[14]
Personal life
editTanaka is the childhood friend of fellow Japan international and former Kawasaki Frontale teammate, Kaoru Mitoma, who currently plays for English Premier League club, Brighton and Hove Albion. Both of them attended Saginuma elementary school in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, and promised to make Japan proud as a professional footballer.[15]
He used a Nambu iron kettle to get enough iron, which helped improve his anemia.[16]
Career statistics
editClub
edit| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2018 | J1 League | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | J1 League | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[c] | 1 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2020 | J1 League | 31 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
| 2021 | J1 League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 79 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 94 | 10 | ||
| Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2022–23 | 2. Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | 2. Bundesliga | 30 | 7 | 4 | 1 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 36 | 8 | ||
| 2024–25 | 2. Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 84 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 95 | 10 | ||
| Leeds United | 2024–25[19] | Championship | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| Career total | 177 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 203 | 20 | ||
- ^ Includes Emperor's Cup, DFB-Pokal, and FA Cup
- ^ Includes J. League Cup and EFL Cup
- ^ 4 appearances and 1 goal in AFC Champions League, 1 appearance in Japanese Super Cup
- ^ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup
- ^ Appearances in 2. Bundesliga promotion play-offs
International
edit- As of match played 15 October 2024[2]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2019 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | |
| Total | 29 | 8 | |
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 October 2021 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan |  Australia |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 2 June 2022 | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan |  Paraguay |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2022 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 3. | 1 December 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Spain |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 4. | 9 September 2023 | Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany |  Germany |
4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 5. | 13 October 2023 | Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata, Japan |  Canada |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 6. | 4–0 | |||||
| 7. | 1 January 2024 | Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  Thailand |
1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 8. | 21 March 2024 | Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  North Korea |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
editKawasaki Frontale
Individual
- J.League Rookie of the Year: 2019
- J.League Best XI: 2020
- Toulon Tournament Bronze Ball : 2019[20]
- Toulon Tournament Best XI: 2019[21]
References
edit- ^ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Japan (JPN)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 16. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Japan National Team｜JFA｜Japan Football Association". www.jfa.jp.
- ^ J1デビュー弾の田中碧、どん欲な姿勢が実を結んだ瞬間「今までの人生で一番楽しかった時間」 (in Japanese). goal.com. 16 September 2018.
- ^ "2019 J.LEAGUE Awards" (in Japanese). J.LEAGUE. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Fortuna verpflichtet Tanaka". kicker (in German). 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Ao Tanaka signs a 3-year long contract with F95" (in German). Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Ao Tanaka signs for Leeds United". www.leedsunited.com. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Froston, Nancy. "How Ao Tanaka is making himself undroppable for Leeds" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Ao Tanaka JFA Profile". JFA. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "U-22 Japan National Team comes from behind to win over Brazil". JFA. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Match Center - Saudi Arabia vs Japan". FIFA. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Match Center - Japan vs Australia". FIFA. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Japan World Cup 2022 squad: Team announced for tournament in Qatar". FourFourTwo. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Japan produce thrilling comeback to stun Spain and make World Cup last 16". The National News. 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Japan team-mates went to school together and made World Cup promise in year book". www.mirror.co.uk. Mirror UK. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Tanaka Aoi's love of "Nambu ironware" is trending on social media... Intake of iron is effective, and the area where it is produced is being approached for PR cooperation". Yomiuri Shimbun Online. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", 7 February 2018, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411529 (p. 13 out of 289)
- ^ Ao Tanaka at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Games played by Ao Tanaka in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ "L'équipe type du Tournoi Maurice Revello 2019". www.festival-foot-espoirs.com.
- ^ "Maurice Revello Tournament 2019 Best XI". Maurice Revello Tournament. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
External links
edit- Ao Tanaka at data.j-league.or.jp (in Japanese)
- Ao Tanaka at www.jleague.jp (archived) Archived 18 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
- Ao Tanaka at Kawasaki Frontale (in Japanese)