'Many issues' - Ao Tanaka sets honest Leeds United goal with Liverpool and Sporting CP inspiration
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Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka admits he has ‘many issues’ but hopes a summer move to England will aid his development.
Tanaka joined Leeds from German second-tier outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf in August, following the agreement of a fee in the region of £3.5million. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2023/24 campaign with seven goals in Dusseldorf and had been a long-term target of Whites boss Daniel Farke, eventually filling the midfield gap left by Glen Kamara.
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Hide AdAs with many of Farke’s new signings, Tanaka has had to be patient with Ilia Gruev partnering Ethan Ampadu during the season’s early weeks. But serious knee injuries to both mean the Japanese international is set for an extended period in the starting line-up.
Patience had to be similar at international level as well, with Tanaka on the bench as his country beat Chine 7-0 last week. Competition for midfield places is high, with Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Hidemasa Morita of Sporting CP the first-choice pairing, and the Leeds man admits he still has plenty to work on if he wants to reach those levels - something he hopes to do in West Yorkshire.
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"It's true that not being able to play is frustrating, whether it's for the national team or my club,” Tanaka told Japanese outlet Soccer-King before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Australia, a game he did start. “Coming here [to Japan] and for this team to win is the most important thing, and although it's frustrating that I can't play, it's important that the team wins.
“Whether I start the game, play in the middle, or don't play at all, I don't see it as a personal comparison to someone else. If I get better, I'll have more chances. Personally, I have many issues to work on. When I watch players like [Hidemasa] Morita and [Wataru] Endo, I feel that there is still a lot I need to do and a lot of room to grow. But I don't just feel this way in my position, I also feel this way in other positions.
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Hide Ad“It's not just the players who are playing in the game, but other players too who make me think, 'That's amazing.' My defensive style isn't particularly flashy, but conversely, I need to keep trying. Because I'm playing in England, I think that this is something I'll continue to improve on. I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can grow."
Fortunately for Leeds, Tanaka looked to have come through that draw against Australia unscathed, completing the full 90 minutes in central midfield. The Japan international will now fly back to West Yorkshire and is expected to be involved in Farke’s final training session before Friday’s visit of Sheffield United to Elland Road.