235-game Elland Road legend lauds 'first class' Leeds United summer transfer with Celtic example

Leeds United midfield legend Gordon Strachan has been impressed with the composure and ‘positive thinking’ of summer signing Ao Tanaka in his first year of English football.

Tanaka has been a revelation since joining Leeds from Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer, with his £3million price-tag looking more ridiculous each week. The Japan international’s introduction to Championship football was cautious - as is often the case under Daniel Farke - but since coming into the starting line-up in October he has barely put a foot wrong.

Only once since that first start at Norwich City has Tanaka not started, with the 26-year-old equally comfortable either in the defensive slot alongside Joe Rothwell, or a more forward-thinking role with one of Ethan Ampadu or Ilia Gruev sitting back. Strachan spent six years at the heart of a title-winning Leeds side and knows what it takes to excel in midfield, with one man in particular catching the eye.

Strachan on Tanaka

“Tanaka has been a great player for them, [Joe] Rodon has been a great player for them, [Jayden] Bogle has been great,” Strachan told the YEP on behalf of poker.se. ”And the two wide men [Manor Solomon and Dan James] have been great. Tanaka, I just like his composure. I like his positive thinking. The Japanese players are doing great around Europe just now. I mean, fantastically well.

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“I was just watching [Daizen] Maeda for Celtic, gets his goal against Hibernian. They're wonderful people because they actually believe they're ambassadors for their country. And they will not let anything be said about them because they feel that it's a slight on their country. And that's the way they work. Their work ethic, their standards, everything about them is first class.”

Tanaka off the pace vs Portsmouth

Tanaka endured a rare off-day at Portsmouth on Sunday, with the usually unflappable midfielder guilty of several losses of possession. The Fratton Park clash was statistically his worst game in terms of passing, with a 70 per cent accuracy the lowest of any game the Japan international has started all season - it was also one of only two starts in which he has managed less than 80 per cent pass accuracy, the other being at Watford last month.

“We have three players more or less for the midfield positions available,” Farke said in his pre-Millwall press conference on Monday. “One is Ao Tanaka who's playing his first season in English football, his first season when there are 46 games, and he's outstanding for us. And of course, he wanted to be also outstanding yesterday.

“He didn't have this best day? Yes, a few losses of the ball and could have been a little more switched on defence wise, but then no problem. If it doesn't work and it's not his day then after 60 minutes or 65 minutes you substitute him and bring a different player on and it's not to be criticising too much for one performance when he's not at his best.”

Gordon Strachan was speaking to Yorkshire Evening Post on behalf of makthavare.se