Shinji Ono
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Shinji Ono (小野伸二 Ono Shinji, September 27,1979 - ) is a Japanese football player, who plays as a midfielder for the Japanese national team and Feyenoord.
Ono is probably the biggest star in Asian football. He started like every Japanese boy at the college level, where he immediately stood out. So, as soon as he reached the legal playing age of 17 he was offered a contract by practically every Japanese pro club. Ono chose his childhood favorite, the Urawa Red Diamonds.
After his third season (2000-2001) Urawa knew they couldn't keep him. By this time Ono had caught the attention of all big clubs in Europe and seemed on his way to Borussia Dortmund, however Feyenoord swept him away and left Borussia empty handed (ironically that same season Ono helped Feyenoord beat Borussia in the UEFA Cup Final). Ono didn't come alone to Holland, but his arrival marked the beginning of an journalist invasion, who followed every step Ono took, for a half year and had to write a page a day about him. Holland was stunned by all the attention the little guy got, but as soon as he had played his first match they understood Feyenoord had signed a new superstar.
He is the only player to have won both the Asian Youth Player Of The Year and Asian Player Of The Year, which he won after being an integral part in the Feyenoord team who won the UEFA Cup. And since then he has been known as one of the best playmakers in the modern game and is one of the favourite players of the fans of Feyenoord. But in the next season (2002-2003) he never reached his level because of injuries and the absence of a vacation for 3 years. So when the season ended the hopes of "het legioen" were high for the next season, but again Shinji didn't shine. but now 5 games in to season 2004-2005 Shinji is more important than ever in the new Feyenoord and is finally playing on his high level again.
External links
- Shinji-Ono.TV (Official Web site) (http://www.shinji-ono.tv/eng/index.html)ja:小野伸二