19 Dec 2005(Mon)

December 16, 2005 – Shinji Ono, of course, is a fine player, but quite why Urawa Reds are ready to bring him “home” to Japan is a bit of a mystery.

And quite why Ono would want to leave Europe is rather puzzling, too.

Ono’s position at the moment seems quite clear. It’s all a matter of wait and see, to see if he recovers from his latest injury and if he will be fit to play at the World Cup in June.

I don’t mean fit as in physically fit, but match fit, as Japan will need to be strong mentally and physically against the robust and combative Australians and Croatians in the first two games if they are to still have a chance of qualifying when they play Brazil in the last game.

Reds will surely feel that they are trying to help Ono on the road to recovery, and this is a noble move. And if Shinji does recover full fitness, then naturally they will have signed one of the best footballers Japan has ever produced.

For Ono, though , it would surely be a step back if he returned to Urawa.

I always thought Feyenoord would be a stepping stone for him to move to a bigger club in a bigger European league, such as Spain or England.

This would surely have been the case, too, if he had steered clear of injury, and not been sidelined on such a regular basis.

The fact that Feyenoord say they would be prepared to sell him tells its own story; that they feel this latest injury is one too many, and he may never actually reach his full potential in Europe.

All of which is a great shame for the player, the club and for Japanese football, as a fully-fit Ono is a joy to watch.

I think Ono would be making a mistake to return to Reds at the moment. He still has time to get fit, and to continue his career in Europe, although perhaps not in Rotterdam.

ends