Takehiro Tomiyasu

Takehiro Tomiyasu - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of Takehiro Tomiyasu

Takehiro Tomiyasu (冨安 健洋, Tomiyasu Takehiro; born 5 November 1998) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a full-back or centre-back for the Japan national team.

This profile of Takehiro Tomiyasu covers Avispa Fukuoka, Sint-Truidense, Bologna, Arsenal and Ajax.

Beginning his career at Avispa Fukuoka, Tomiyasu had a spell with Belgian club Sint-Truiden and Italian club Bologna before joining Arsenal in 2021 for a reported fee of up to £17m.

Having previously played for various youth levels, Tomiyasu received a call-up for Japan's senior team in 2018. He featured for the side that reached the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, and also played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2023 Asian Cup and 2026 World Cup.

Avispa Fukuoka of Takehiro Tomiyasu

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Tomiyasu enrolled at Sanchiku Elementary School, and during the second half of his first grade, he joined the school’s football club, Sanchiku Kickers, where he initially played as a defensive midfielder. He was scouted by the club’s general manager, Kanji Tsuji, who was impressed by his performance, particularly his speed, and encouraged his parents to support his football development.

In 2009, when he was eleven years old and in the fifth grade, Tomiyasu began attending the newly established FC Barcelona Academy in Fukuoka, training there twice a week. At the academy, he played as a defensive midfielder. Although there were discussions about the possibility of joining FC Barcelona’s youth setup in Spain, the move did not materialize.

After graduating from elementary school at the age of 12, Tomiyasu passed the selection trial and joined the local club Avispa Fukuoka’s junior youth team. By the age of 14, he was playing for their U-15 side and was also selected for the Japan national youth team. Initially playing in the midfield position, he switched to centre back. 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. He made his debut for the club on 14 October 2015 as a starter in a 2–0 loss against Machida Zelvia 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. He 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 in the J League Cup. But in the J. League Cup match against Sagan Tosu, 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. After making his debut for the club, Tomiyasu became a 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, he had his contract with the club renewed.

In the 2017 season, Tomiyasu became a regular for the side, playing at centre back. He then scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win against Roasso Kumamoto on 19 March 2017. But Tomiyasu faced two separate international commitment between March and May. Despite this, he continued to regain his first-team place for the club for the rest of the season. Tomiyasu then helped Avispa Fukuoka three clean sheets in three matches between 29 July 2017 and 11 August 2017. He later helped the club qualify for the J1 League Promotion Playoffs, having finished fourth place in the league. Tomiyasu helped the side beat Tokyo Verdy 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, 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, he went on to make thirty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions.

Sint-Truidense of Takehiro Tomiyasu

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 side Sint-Truiden. 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 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 in the opening game of the season. Since the start of the season, he became a regular for the side, playing at centre back. Between 23 September 2018 and 30 September 2018, Tomiyasu kept three consecutive clean sheets in three matches. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the season on 25 November 2018 in a 4–2 win against Anderlecht. 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. He continued to retain his place in the team 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

It was reported on 29 June 2019 that Bologna agreed a €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. Upon joining the club, he said: "Impression that the defensive tactics are detailed. The striker level is also high. I chose this team because I wanted to learn individual defense tactics. First I wanted to be on the pitch."

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takehiro_Tomiyasu), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.