Ao Tanaka

Ao Tanaka (田中 碧, Tanaka Ao; born 10 September 1998) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Leeds United and the Japan national team.

Ao Tanaka was born in the Miyamae-ku ward of Kawasaki on 10 September 1998. His parents originally wanted to give him a different name, but the sky was so blue on the day of his birth that they named him Ao, the Japanese word for "blue". He started playing football in kindergarten, and in addition to football, he was involved in other athletic pursuits such as gymnastics. However, football was the one he enjoyed the most, and he started kicking the ball against the wall alone in the park for practise.

Tanaka entered Saginuma Elementary School and joined its football club, Saginuma SC, which was well known in the area. The team's coach at the time later recalled Tanaka's trial session; Tanaka was kicking the ball happily at first, but was crying in the corner of the schoolyard halfway through. When the coach asked him why he was crying, he replied, "I'm bored with this practice. I want to practice harder." The coach was surprised to see such ambition in such a young boy.

Raised for a decade in the youth ranks of hometown club Kawasaki Frontale, Tanaka made his J1 League debut in September 2018 against Consadole Sapporo, scoring his first professional goal just six minutes after he was subbed on. As injuries struck the midfield options of Kawasaki Frontale during the 2019 season, he earned more starts with his club, participating in 24 J1 League matches throughout the season, accumulating 31 matches in total during the year, across five different competitions. As his performances continuously caught the eyes of many, and his manager's approval, he was then awarded the 2019 J.League Rookie of the Year Award in his first full professional season. With this feat, he is the only Kawasaki Frontale player ever to win this award.

On 26 June 2021, after two and a half professional seasons with Kawasaki Frontale, he joined German 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf on a year-long loan with an option to buy.

On 28 April 2022, Fortuna Düsseldorf, satisfied with his club and national team performances, exercised the buy-out option in his club contract to acquire him, paying his release clause to get him officially signed for the club on 28 April 2022. He signed a three-year contract with the expiration date being 30 June 2025, encouraged by a sequence of game time with their first-team in the 2021–22 2. Bundesliga.

On 30 August 2024, Tanaka signed for EFL Championship club Leeds United on a four-year deal. By November 2024 he had become a key player for the team, being described as "undroppable". He scored his first goal for The Whites in a 3–3 league tie on 4 January 2025 at Hull. That goal against The Tigers was voted 2024–25 Leeds United Goal of the Season.

On 3 May 2025, Tanaka won the 2024–25 EFL Championship title following a 2–1 win over Plymouth Argyle at Home Park. Tanaka scored five league goals during the 2024–25 Leeds United season, which was joint-eighth (with Pascal Struijk) on the squad, and he played a big part in Leeds getting promoted back to the Premier League since relegation in May 2023. He was also voted Leeds United Players' Player of the Year for the 2024–25 season by his teammates. Tanaka was also named to the 2024–25 EFL Championship Team of the Season, along with his teammates Dan James and Jayden Bogle.