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Shinji Ono (小野伸二 Ono
Shinji, September 27,1979 - , came from Numazu,
Shizuoka) is a Japanese Football (soccer)|football
player, who plays as a midfielder for the Japan
national football team|Japanese national team and
Feyenoord Rotterdam|Feyenoord. 

Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian
football_(soccer)|football. He started like every
Japanese boy at the college level, where he
immediately stood out. So, as soon as he reached
the legal playing age of 17 he was offered a
contract by practically every Japanese pro club.
Ono chose his childhood favorite, the Urawa Red
Diamonds. 

After his third season (2000-2001) Urawa knew they
couldn't keep him. By this time Ono had caught the
attention of all big clubs in Europe and seemed on
his way to Borussia Dortmund, however Feyenoord
swept him away and left Borussia empty handed
(ironically that same season Ono helped Feyenoord
beat Borussia in the UEFA Cup Final). Ono didn't
come alone to Holland, but his arrival marked the
beginning of an journalist invasion, who followed
every step Ono took, for a half year and had to
write a page a day about him. Holland was stunned
by all the attention the little guy got, but as
soon as he had played his first match they
understood Feyenoord had signed a new superstar.

He is the only player to have won both the Asian
Youth Player Of The Year and Asian Player Of The
Year, which he won after being an integral part in
the Feyenoord team who won the UEFA Cup. And since
then he has been known as one of the best
playmakers in the modern game and is one of the
favourite players of the fans of Feyenoord. But in
the next season (2002-2003) he never reached his
level because of injuries and the absence of a
vacation for 3 years. So when the season ended the
hopes of "het legioen" were high for the next
season, but again Shinji didn't shine. but now 5
games in to season 2004-2005 Shinji is more
important than ever in the new Feyenoord and is
finally playing on his high level again. 

== External links ==
* http://www.shinji-ono.tv/eng/index.html
Shinji-Ono.TV (Official Web site)