Shinji Ono (小野 伸二,Ono Shinji; born 27 September 1979) is a Japanese former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder.
He started his senior career withJ1 League side Urawa Reds before moving Dutch sideFeyenoord in 2001 where he won theUEFA Cup in 2002. He returned to Urawa Reds in 2006 where he won the2006 J League title in his first season back at the club and the2007 AFC Champions League in his second season. He moved to Bundesliga side Bochum in January 2008 but made limited appearances due to injuries. He signed forShimizu S-Pulse in January 2010. He subsequently played for Western Sydney Wanderers, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Ryukyu before retiring in 2023.
He earned 56 caps for the Japan national team. He was part of the squads for the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
Ono grew up in theShizuoka Prefecture and began his professional career withUrawa Reds in theJ1 League in 1998. The same year, he became the youngest Japanese player to play at1998 World Cup, at age 18.[5] He caught the attention of foreign clubs with his performance at the1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria, where he captained theJapanese Under-20 side that reached the final. But later that year, he suffered a severe knee injury in a qualification match for the2000 Olympics withJapan's Under-23 side, forcing him to miss the rest of the season and Olympic qualifying.[6]
After a strong performance at the2001 Confederations Cup, Ono moved toFeyenoord of the DutchEredivisie in 2001. In his first season, he helped Feyenoord win the 2002UEFA Cup, making him the first Japanese in history to win a European trophy. However, a string of injuries kept him sidelined for long periods. After he missed the majority of 2004–05, the club sold him.[7] His stint at theRotterdam based club is highly rated and Dutch midfielderWesley Sneijder said "Shinji Ono is the toughest opponent I've ever faced".[8]
In the 2008 January transfer window, Ono returned to Europe, signing withBundesliga'sBochum. On 3 February 2008, Ono made his Bundesliga debut in an away game againstWerder Bremen, and he had two assists that helped Bochum with their first ever win over Bremen atWeserstadion. Ono suffered injuries in the following two years in Bochum, and could only play 34 matches in which he gave four assists for the club. In the winter break of 2009–10, Ono requested a return to Japan for personal reasons. Different Japanese clubs were interested in the midfielder. Bochum allowed him to leave under the condition that they could find a successor.[10]
On 9 January 2010, Ono returned to his nativeShizuoka Prefecture by signing forShimizu S-Pulse.[11] The transfer fee were rumored to be €300,000 for the midfielder whose contract in Bochum expired in the summer of 2010. In an interview he declared that the main reason for his transfer was his wish to reunite with his wife and children, who were still living in Japan.[12]
On 28 September 2012, it was announced that Shinji Ono had signed with newA-League clubWestern Sydney Wanderers on a two-year deal as the club'smarquee player. The Wanderers were offered former German internationalMichael Ballack[13] but preferred to sign Ono.[14] He made his debut for the Wanderers on 6 October, in a scoreless draw againstCentral Coast Mariners, in the first game of the season.
Ono scored his first goal for the club with a penalty in round 10 against Brisbane Roar.[15] Ono scored two stunning goals to help the Wanderers beat Melbourne Victory 2–1 in round 14 on 1 January 2013.[16] On 16 January 2014, the club announced that Ono would return to Japan at the end of the A-League season. Ono will link up withJ2 League clubConsadole Sapporo to play out the remainder of the season in Japan as the club chases promotion to the J1 League.[17] On 4 May 2014, Ono played his last A-League game for the Wanderers, in a 2–1 Grand Final loss toBrisbane Roar, in what was to be the Wanderers' second successive Grand Final defeat.[18]
Following the expiration of his contract and his desire to see his family, Ono joinedConsadole Sapporo (laterHokkaido Consadole Sapporo) in May 2014.[17]
On 5 August 2019, Ono signed withJ2 League clubFC Ryukyu.[19] In December 2020, he left Ryuku after failing to reach a contract extension agreement.[20]
On 1 January 2021, it was announced that he would return to his former club, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, as a permanent transfer.[21] His uniform number is 44, the same as when he belonged to Sapporo last time.
On 9 June of the same year, in the second round of the Emperor's Cup at Sony Sendai, he scored his first goal in an official match in four years with a direct free kick. This goal made him the oldest player to score in the Emperor's Cup (41 years and 255 days old).
On 28 January 2022, it was announced that he had signed a lifetime contract with Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.[22] Ono commented, "I consider Hokkaido to be my second home. I don't know how I will end my active career, but I hope to continue to give back to the club by sharing my experiences". In addition, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo representative director and GM Daikatsu Mikami expressed his intention to prioritize Ono's wishes, saying, "I will let him decide whether he wants to be a coach or join the front desk".
On 27 September 2023, the day he celebrated his 44th birthday, which is the same as his jersey number, he posted on his Instagram a message posted on the Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo official website:[23][24] "I have a report to share with you all. 39th anniversary of my first encounter with soccer. My feet, which have been my companions for many years, are telling me it's time to give them a rest, so I've decided to end my career as a professional soccer player at the end of this season. There are still a few games left in the season. However, I will continue to prepare as well as possible so that I can be involved in the game as much as possible. I ask for your support until the end". Shinji Ono announced that he will retire as an active player after the 2023 season.
On 3 December 2023, at the 2023 J1 league season final round, Ono played his last professional game against Urawa. He said goodbye to his colleague and every fan.[25]
When fit, Ono was an ever-present member of theJapan national team. He made his full international debut on 1 April 1998 againstSouth Korea in a friendly.[26] After his appearance in the 1998 World Cup, he was a key member of the Japanese squad in the2002 FIFA World Cup. He has represented Japan at every age level starting with the U-16 team, and was one of three overage selections at the2004 Olympics in Athens. Injuries limited Ono to just one appearance in the final round of thequalification for the2006 FIFA World Cup and missed the Confederations Cup in 2003 and 2005. He played in his third World Cup finals in Germany.[27]
Known asTensai[28][29] (天才,Japanese forGenius), Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing.[30] Although his primary position isattacking midfielder, he can play anywhere in the midfield, includingdefensive midfield and eitherwing.
