is a Japanese professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
or
full-back for
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and the
Japan national team.
Beginning his career at
Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club, currently competing in the J1 League. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish. They were originally called Fujieda Blux and based in Fujieda, Shizuoka before moving t ...
, Tomiyasu had a spell with Belgian club
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; french: link=no, Saint-Trond ; li, Sintruin ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, and has over 41,500 inhabitants, which makes it one of the largest cities in Limburg. The muni ...
and Italian club
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
before joining Arsenal in 2021. He was also called up for Japan's
senior team in 2018, having previously played for various youth levels.
Club career
Avispa Fukuoka
Born in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
, Japan, Tomiyasu was first scouted by the Sanchiku Kickers’ general manager Kanji Tsuji, who was impressed with his performance, especially his speed.
Following this, Tsuji convinced his parents to let him play football, which led Tomiyasu to be enrolled at Sanchiku Elementary School.
When he was eleven, Tomiyasu was recommended for a trial at
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
Soccer Camp by his coach.
He impressed at the trial so FC Barcelona offered him a place on the club's
youth academy
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
, but it was difficult for him to relocate to Spain and the move was cancelled. Despite this, Tomiyasu said the experience at the Soccer Camp was "inspiring".
After failing to join FC Barcelona, Tomiyasu joined
Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club, currently competing in the J1 League. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish. They were originally called Fujieda Blux and based in Fujieda, Shizuoka before moving t ...
. Initially playing in the midfield position, he switched to a centre-back position. During his time at Avispa Fukuoka's youth system, Tomiyasu had a period as the club captain.
He impressed at the 2013's JFA Premier Cup, and was named in the Best Eleven as a result. In May 2015, it was announced that Avispa Fukuoka had registered Tomiyasu. After appearing in two matches as an unused substitute, he made his debut for the club on 14 October 2015 as a starter in a 2–0 loss against
Machida Zelvia
is a Japanese football club based in Machida, Tokyo.
History
Machida is known as "Brazil of Tokyo" due to the popularity of football in the city; it has, in fact, produced the second-largest number of J. League players though its football scho ...
in the third round of the Emperor's Cup. At the end of the 2015 season, Tomiyasu signed a temporary contract with Avispa Fukuoka.
At the start of the 2016 season, Tomiyasu spent the first half of the J League season on the substitute bench. Tomiyasu made his first appearance of the season on 20 April 2016, as a starter in the defensive midfield position, in a 0–0 draw against
Vegalta Sendai
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in J2 League. The team is located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.
History
Founded in 1988 as ''Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Soccer Club'', Vegalta joined the J-League in 1999 after p ...
in the J League Cup. However, in the J. League Cup match against
Sagan Tosu
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J1 League. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.
''Sagan'' is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises ...
, Tomiyasu was sent off for a second bookable offence in a 1–1 draw. Two months later, on 13 July 2016, he made his league debut for the club, starting in the defensive midfield position in a 2–1 win against
FC Tokyo
Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be si ...
. After making his debut for the club, Tomiyasu became a first team regular for the side, usually playing in the defensive midfield position. It was reported on 26 September 2016 that he had become the second player in the league to be the fastest player at 12.436 km in. Following the club's relegation to J. League 2, Tomiyasu went on to make sixteen appearances in all competitions. At the end of the 2016 season, Tomiyasu had his contract with the club renewed.
In the 2017 season, Tomiyasu became a first team regular for the side, playing in the centre-back position. He then scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win against
Roasso Kumamoto
is a Japanese football club based in Kumamoto, the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League, which is the second tier of football in the country. ''Roasso'' is a portmanteau of the Italian words ''rosso'' an ...
on 19 March 2017. Despite being absent from the first team, due to international commitment, Tomiyasu continued to regain his first team place for the club for the rest of the season. He then helped Avispa Fukuoka three clean sheets in three matches between 29 July 2017 and 11 August 2017. Tomiyasu later helped the club qualify for the
J1 League Promotion Playoffs, having finished fourth place in the league. He helped the side beat
Tokyo Verdy
is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of football in the country.
Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated clubs in the J.League, with ...
1–0 to reach the semi–finals of the J1 League Promotion Playoffs. In the final of the J1 League Promotion Playoffs against
Nagoya Grampus
(formerly known as ) is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939, the c ...
, Tomiyasu played 90 minutes, as they drew 0–0 but saw Avispa Fukuoka unsuccessfully promoted to J. League One. At the end of the 2017 season, Tomiyasu went on to make thirty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
Sint-Truidense
It was announced on 8 January 2018 that Tomiyasu would be moving abroad for the first time in his career by joining
Belgian First Division A
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
side
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; french: link=no, Saint-Trond ; li, Sintruin ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, and has over 41,500 inhabitants, which makes it one of the largest cities in Limburg. The muni ...
. He signed a three and a half year contract with the club, keeping him until 2021. Upon joining the club, Tomiyasu said: "I want to become a special player in Belgium." After spending months at training and recovering from an ankle injury, Tomiyasu made his Sint-Truiden debut for the club, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–1 win against
Royal Antwerp
Royal Antwerp Football Club, often referred to as Royal Antwerp or simply Antwerp, is a Belgian football club based in the city of Antwerp. Founded around 1880 as ''Antwerp Cricket Club'' by English students residing in Antwerp, 15 years before ...
on 12 May 2018. This turned out to be his only appearance of the 2017–18 season.
In the 2018–19 season, Tomiyasu made his first start for Sint-Truiden and played the entirety of a 0–0 draw against
Cercle Brugge
Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging () is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003–04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Divisio ...
in the opening game of the season. Since the start of the season, he became a first team regular for the side, playing in the centre-back position. Between 23 September 2018 and 30 September 2018, Tomiyasu kept three consecutive clean sheets in three matches. Having spent in the centre-back position since the start of the season, he played in the right–back position, which came against
Zulte Waregem on 4 November 2018. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the season on 25 November 2018 in a 4–2 win against
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...
. After spending January on international duty with Japan, Tomiyasu returned to Sint-Truidense on 9 February 2019, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win against
Waasland-Beveren
Sportkring Beveren is a professional Belgian association football club located in the municipality of Beveren, East Flanders. They play in the Belgian First Division B.
History
The club was founded in 1936 as Red Star and registered to an amate ...
. He continued to regain his first team for the side for the rest of the 2018–19 season. His performance received praise from the Belgian media. As a result, he won the club's Player of the Year. In his second season at Sint-Truidense, Tomiyasu made 40 appearances and scored once in all competitions.
Bologna
![Takehiro Tomiyasu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Takehiro_Tomiyasu.jpg)
It was reported on 29 June 2019 that
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
agreed a
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
9 million deal to sign Tomiyasu. The transfer move was confirmed on 9 July 2019 and Tomiyasu became the second Japanese player to join the club after
Hidetoshi Nakata
is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest Asian players of all time.
Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player ...
. Upon joining the club, he said: "Impression that the defensive tactics are detailed. The striker level is also very high. I chose this team because I wanted to learn individual defense tactics. First I wanted to be on the pitch."
Tomiyasu made his Bologna debut, playing the whole game, in a 3–0 win against
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
in the first round of the
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
. A week later, he made his league debut, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw against
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as Hellas Verona or simply Verona, is a professional Italian football club based in Verona, Italy, that currently plays in Serie A. The team won the Serie A Championship in 1984–85.
His ...
, and was named Man of the Match for his performance. Having made three appearances, he was named August's Player of the Month. He started in the first league seven matches before suffering a hamstring injury in October that kept him out for a month. On 24 November, he made his return to the starting lineup in a 2–2 draw against
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
. Since joining the club, Tomiyasu quickly established himself in the starting eleven playing at right-back, and his performances impressed the Italian media and supporters alike. By the time the season was suspended because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, he had made 20 appearances in all competitions. Tomiyasu remained an integral part of the club once the season resumed behind closed doors. He scored his first goal for Bologna in the 44th minute with his left foot, in a 5–1 loss against
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
on 18 July 2020. In a follow–up match against
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
, Tomiyasu suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted in the 74th minute, as the club lost 1–0. After the match, it was announced that he would be sidelined for the rest of the 2019–20 season. Despite this, Tomiyasu finished his first season at Bologna, making 30 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2020–21 season, Tomiyasu's performances last season led to suggestions that he could be playing in the centre–back position. Tomiyasu soon recovered from his injury and regained his first team place, playing in the centre-back position. In a match against
Sassuolo
Sassuolo (; egl, label=Modenese dialect, Modenese, Sasól ) is an Italian town, ''comune'', and industrial centre of the Province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna.
Standing on the right bank of the river Secchia some southwest of Modena, the town ...
on 18 October 2020, he scored an own goal after a cross from
Giorgos Kyriakopoulos, leading to the winning goal for the opposition team. In December, Tomiyasu began playing as right-back for the rest of the season, though he occasionally played as a left-back and centre-back. This was due to his struggles playing as centre-back, resulting in criticism by the Italian media. His performances began to improve as a result of the tactical change. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Atalanta on 23 December. Two weeks later on 6 January 2021, he scored his second goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 2–2 draw against
Udinese
Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a fo ...
. However, Tomiyasu suffered a calf injury that saw him out for two weeks. He made his return to the starting line–up two weeks later than expected on 14 March against
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
, starting in a 3–1 win. His return was short–lived when he suffered a muscular problem against
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Football in Italy, Italian professional Association football, football ...
on 4 April. After being sidelined for a month, he made his return to the starting line–up on 2 May against
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...
and played 76 minutes before being substituted, in a 3–3 draw. By the end of the season, he had made 33 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Tomiyasu was linked with a move to
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
and Atalanta. Amid the transfer speculation, he made his only appearance of the season against Atalanta, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute, in a 0–0 draw on 28 August 2021.
Arsenal
On 31 August 2021, Tomiyasu joined
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on a four-year deal, with an option for a fifth. The transfer was variously reported as £15.5million, £16 million and £17 million. Upon joining the club, both manager
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta Amatriain (born 26 March 1982) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player. He is the manager of club Arsenal.
Arteta began his senior career at Barcelona in 1999 but limited playing time led to a loan to Paris ...
and technical director
Edu commented about the player, describing him as an "important member of the squad" at Arsenal. On 11 September, he made his first appearance for Arsenal against
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
in a 1–0 win. Tomiyasu was named Arsenal's Player of the Month for September 2021, with 51% of the vote.
International career
Youth
![Iran - Japan, AFC Asian Cup 2019 21](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Iran_-_Japan%2C_AFC_Asian_Cup_2019_21.jpg)
Having previously played for Japan U14 and Japan U15, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U16 for the first time in March 2013 ahead of the
Montaigu Tournament
The Montaigu Tournament (french: Tournoi de Montaigu) is an international association football competition that is contested by under-16 national teams and clubs. The tournament is also known as Mondial Minimes.
The games are held in stadiums lo ...
. He participated in the tournament, as the U16 side finished seventh place. In August 2014, Tomiyasu was called for Japan U16 ahead of the
AFC U-16 Championship
The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC U-16 Championship and AFC U-17 Championship, is a football competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held once every two years for Asian under-17 teams that also serves as a q ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. He made two appearances in the tournament, as Japan U16 were eliminated in the quarter–finals.
In July 2014, Tomiyasu was called up to the
Japan U17 for the first time. He participated in a number of matches for the side throughout 2015.
In June 2015, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U18 squad for the
Panda Cup
The Panda Cup International Youth Football Tournament (Chinese: 熊猫杯国际青年足球邀请赛) is an annual international youth football tournament that is held in the city of Chengdu, China.
The tournament was first announced in April 201 ...
. He played two times in the tournament, as the U18 side won the trophy, finishing first place. In March 2016, he was called up to the
Japan U-19 squad for the first time. Six months later, he was ahead of the
AFC U-19 Championship
The AFC U-20 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC Youth Championship and AFC U-19 Championship, is a biennial international association football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's under-20 national teams ...
in Bahrain. He played his first match of the tournament, where he helped the U19 side win 3–0 against
Yemen U19. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the tournament, in a 3–0 win against
Qatar U19 on 20 October 2016. He helped the Japan U19 reached the final after beating
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in the semi–final. Tomiyasu started in the final against
Saudi Arabia U19 and played 120 minutes; which resulting Japan U19 won 5–3 on penalties. During the AFC U-19 Championship tournament, he helped the Japan U19 side keep all six clean sheets.
In May 2017, Tomiyasu was elected
Japan U-20 national team for
2017 U-20 World Cup in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. He made his Japan U20 debut, starting the whole game, in a 3–2 win against
Honduras U-20 in a friendly match. At this tournament, he played full time in all 4 matches as centre back, as the U-20 side were eliminated in the quarter–finals.
In May 2018, Tomiyasu was called up to the
Japan U21 for the first time ahead of the
Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
. He went on to make four appearances for the side, as they were eliminated in the Group Stage.
In June 2021, Tomiyasu was named in the
Japan squad for his first
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
, this time on home soil. He previously expressed his interest in playing at the tournament. Prior to the start of the Olympics, Tomiyasu was featured three out of the four friendly matches for the national side. Along the way, he suffered ankle injury, but it did not affect his chances to be in the Olympics squad. Tomiyasu made his debut in the tournament against
France Olympic team on 28 July 2021 and started the whole game to help Japan win 4–0. He made two more appearances for the Olympics team, including a 2–0 loss against
Mexico Olympic team in the
bronze medal match
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
.
Senior
![Iran - Japan, AFC Asian Cup 2019 24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Iran_-_Japan%2C_AFC_Asian_Cup_2019_24.jpg)
On 30 August 2018, Tomiyasu received his first international call-up from the
Japan national team for the
Kirin Challenge Cup 2018. It was not until 12 October 2018 when he made his Japan debut, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win against
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
. Tomiyasu became the first teenager to start in the senior team since
Ryo Miyaichi
is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League and the Japan national team.
Miyaichi began his professional career at Arsenal after a successful trial in 2010. However, without a British ...
. A month later on 16 November 2018, he made his second appearance for the national side, in a 1–1 draw against
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
.
In December 2018, Tomiyasu was re-called to the Japanese squad for the
2019 AFC Asian Cup
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup was the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in the United Arab Emirates from 5 January to 1 ...
. He made his tournament debut for the national side, starting the whole game and helped Japan win 3–2 against
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
. He helped Japan keep a clean sheet by beating
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
1–0 win to advance to the knockout stage. He then scored his first goal for the national side, scoring from a header, in a 1–0 win against
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
to reach the semi–finals. Tomiyasu later played two more matches of the tournament, which saw the national side reaching the final for the first time since 2011. In the
AFC Asian Cup final against Qatar, he started and captained the side, as they lost 3–1, finishing as runner–up in the process.
Following the conclusion to the AFC Asian Cup tournament, Tomiyasu was called up to the
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
ahead of the
Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
in Brazil. He started all three matches, playing in the centre–back position, as they were eliminated in the Group Stage. He later played three matches of 2019, helping the national side keep three clean sheets.
Almost a year absent, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan squad on 6 October 2020. He started three out of the four matches for the national team by the end of the year.
In November 2022, Tomiyasu was called up to the 26-man Japan squad that would compete in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
for the
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
.
Style of play
Playing in either the right–back or centre–back positions, Tomiyasu is known for being physical, as well as his strong defending structure.
His performance at
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; french: link=no, Saint-Trond ; li, Sintruin ) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, and has over 41,500 inhabitants, which makes it one of the largest cities in Limburg. The muni ...
was so impressive that Voetbal Nieuws named him "The Best Eleven of Foreign Players Who Have Left from the
Jupiler League". Former teammate
Pol García praised Tomiyasu for his attitude, while former Italy international defender
Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo (; born 21 December 1981) is an Italian former footballer who played as a defender. He mainly played as a centre back, although he was also capable of playing as a full-back or in midfield.
He began his club career with Ital ...
praised his strong and energetic performances.
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
's technical coach Emilio De Leo said about Tomiyasu's performances, saying: "He has the ability to read and manipulate time and space in a modern way." The club manager
Marco Di Vaio
Marco Di Vaio (; born 15 July 1976) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A prolific goalscorer, in his long club career, Di Vaio scored over 200 league goals while playing for several clubs, mainly in Italy, as ...
agreed, saying: "Tomiyasu immediately impressed us because he is very good with his feet and knows how to adapt to all defense roles." National Italian newspaper
Corriere dello Sport
''Corriere dello Sport'' is an Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome, Italy. It is one of three major Italian sports daily newspapers and has the largest readership in central and southern Italy, the fourth most read throughout the co ...
praised Tomiyasu's performance, saying: "He is a treasure. The key to reinforcing Bologna".
Manuel Minguzzi, a reporter for Tuttobologna, said about his performance: "Fans can always expect maximum professionalism and commitment from Tomiyasu. As a full back he did very well, while as a central he made some mistakes, but in Serie A it is quite normal because adaptation is needed. Tomiyasu also possesses great qualities when building the game. I was very struck by the fact that in the first year of Serie A he immediately became the protagonist. He had been taken as a central-defender but was often used as full-back offering both phases of play. As soon as he arrived he became an idol. The Japanese market is always very active on social networks and Bologna has expanded its popularity thanks to Tomiyasu." Former Japan manager
Alberto Zaccheroni
Alberto Zaccheroni (; born 1 April 1953) is an Italian football manager, formerly in charge of the United Arab Emirates and Japan national football teams.
He has managed a number of top clubs in Serie A, the high point of his career being his s ...
praised manager
Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional Footballer, football player and Football coach (association football), manager.
During his career as a football ...
for using Tomiyasu regularly in the first team, saying: "He was good but not malicious, Mihajlovic did a great job making him play a full-back year, in less risky areas, and then use him as a central player after gaining experience."
Media
Tomiyasu was involved in the
Amazon Original sports
docuseries
Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries.
Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film.
*Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...
''
All or Nothing: Arsenal'', which documented the club by spending time with the coaching staff and players behind the scenes both on and off the field throughout their
2021–22 season.
Personal life
Tomiyasu has two sisters.
He was planning to follow in his sisters' footsteps by becoming a professional swimmer before switching to football instead, stating that he wanted to be a footballer.
In his first press conference in Bologna, Tomiyasu said he began to learn
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and asked the media to call him Tomi. By February 2020, Italian media ''Corriere Di Bologna'' reported that Tomiyasu already spoke Italian. In addition to Italian and his native
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, Tomiyasu also speaks
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, having sharpened his English skills during his spell in Sint-Truiden.
Tomiyasu revealed that growing up, he idolised
Javier Mascherano
Javier Alejandro Mascherano (born 8 June 1984) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Argentina national under-20 team. As a player, he played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, most not ...
. In the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
in Italy, Tomiyasu spoke out about his life during the pandemic and while the season was suspended, he exercised daily. On 12 May 2020, his former club,
Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club, currently competing in the J1 League. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish. They were originally called Fujieda Blux and based in Fujieda, Shizuoka before moving t ...
expressed their gratitude to Tomiyasu after he donated 1,000 masks to the club's academy. The following month, Bologna revealed that the players and staff members agreed to give up a month's salary.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tomiyasu goal.''
Honours
Japan U-19
*
AFC U-19 Championship
The AFC U-20 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC Youth Championship and AFC U-19 Championship, is a biennial international association football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's under-20 national teams ...
:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
Japan
*
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second oldest cont ...
: runner-up
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Individual
*
IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
AFC Man Team of the Year: 2020
*
IFFHS AFC Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
References
External links
Profileat the Arsenal F.C. website
Profileat the Premier League website
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomiyasu, Takehiro
1998 births
Living people
Association football people from Fukuoka Prefecture
Association football defenders
Japanese footballers
Japan youth international footballers
Avispa Fukuoka players
Sint-Truidense V.V. players
Bologna F.C. 1909 players
Arsenal F.C. players
J1 League players
J2 League players
Belgian First Division A players
Serie A players
Japanese expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Belgium
Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Expatriate footballers in Italy
Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Italy
2019 AFC Asian Cup players
2019 Copa América players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
Japan international footballers
Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Olympic footballers of Japan
Premier League players