Ao Tanaka #7

Profile

Developed in the Kawasaki Frontale academy, Tanaka’s technical quality is clear, but it’s his ability to cover wide areas at both ends of the pitch and anticipate shifts in play that gives him the edge. He reads danger early, and has a strong eye for goal, too, scoring in Japan’s win over Spain at the Qatar World Cup. He is known as an avid reader, organising his reading notes around three axes: knowledge, information and action. He’s all about structure and efficiency. His first name means “blue” – his parents had a different name in mind, but the sky was so blue on the day he was born, they chose that instead. One story from his elementary school days sums up his drive and determination: during his first trial for the school team he was playing happily at first, but halfway through the teacher spotted him crying in the corner of the schoolyard. When the teacher asked him what was wrong, he replied: “I'm bored with this practice. I want to practice harder."

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