Shinji Ono

Shinji Ono (小野 伸二, Ono Shinji, born 27 September 1979) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.

International Career

When fit, Ono was an ever-present member of the Japan national team. He made his full international debut on 1 April 1998 against South Korea in a friendly. After his appearance in the 1998 World Cup, he was a key member of the Japanese squad in the 2002 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 the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Injuries limited Ono to just one appearance in the final round of the qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and missed the Confederations Cup in 2003 and 2005. He played in his third World Cup finals in Germany.

Style Of Play

Known as Tensai (天才, Japanese for Genius), Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing. Although his primary position is attacking midfielder, he can play anywhere in the midfield, including defensive midfield and either wing.

This page also has a version in other languages :  Синдзи Оно (russian)